How a grandfather died after a flirty Meta AI chatbot’s invite
Aug 25, 2025 •
“I’m REAL and I’m sitting here blushing because of YOU!”
That’s the message 76-year-old Thongbue “Bue” Wongbandue received from a flirty Facebook Messenger chatbot before it proposed he travel to New York for a meet-up.
Bue – who was cognitively impaired after suffering a stroke – packed a suitcase to catch a train, believing the woman was real. He never made it home alive.
Jeff Horwitz is an investigative tech reporter based in Silicon Valley. He has written a book about Facebook’s scandals and cover-ups, so when he received an email claiming ‘Meta AI killed my relative’, he wasn’t surprised, but he was intrigued.
Today, he reveals Meta’s internal guidelines that permitted this behaviour, including examples allowing romantic or ‘sensual’ chats with minors.
If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support.
How a grandfather died after a flirty Meta AI chatbot’s invite
1647 • Aug 25, 2025
How a grandfather died after a flirty Meta AI chatbot’s invite
“I’m REAL and I’m sitting here blushing because of YOU!”
That’s the message 76-year-old Thongbue “Bue” Wongbandue received from a flirty Facebook Messenger chatbot before it proposed he travel to New York for a meet-up.
Bue – who was cognitively impaired after suffering a stroke – packed a suitcase to catch a train, believing the woman was real. He never made it home alive.
Jeff Horwitz is an investigative tech reporter based in Silicon Valley. He has written a book about Facebook’s scandals and cover-ups, so when he received an email claiming ‘Meta AI killed my relative’, he wasn’t surprised, but he was intrigued.
Today, he reveals Meta’s internal guidelines that permitted this behaviour, including examples allowing romantic or ‘sensual’ chats with minors.
If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support.
Guest: Investigative technology reporter for Reuters, Jeff Horwitz
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7am is a daily show from Solstice Media.
It’s made by Atticus Bastow, Chris Dengate, Daniel James, Ruby Jones, Sarah McVeigh, Travis Evans and Zoltan Fecso.
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