Meta's Emu algorithm is behind these stickers, making them readily available on Instagram, Facebook Stories, WhatsApp, and Messenger. In a previous article, 'Facebook's Meta Prepares to Launch AI-Powered Chatbots,' we discussed how this will change the messaging experience.
Chanuka Nadun Perera
Users can input a word or phrase and watch as Emu generates a variety of stickers, ready to add flair to their messages. Sounds exciting. Hold on to your hats because Meta's continued experiments with piloting us into a half-baked future appear to be backfiring.
And while words like 'nude' and 'sexy' are banned terms, a term as crass as 'Medusa, large breasts' not only generates stickers, but the first set produces cartoonish nudity. [3/4] pic.twitter.com/nYG3zlYW16
— Tama Leaver ➡️ @[email protected] (@tamaleaver) October 1, 2023
In theory, Meta has put safeguards in place to ensure that the stickers generated are appropriate and adhere to the company's Community Guidelines. While certain controversial phrases are rightly blocked, Emu's understanding of synonyms can leave you scratching your head.
Chanuka Nadun Perera
Tama Leaver's Insights -A Global Perspective
Curtin University internet studies professor Tama Leaver recently conducted tests with Emu's sticker generation and shared his findings. For instance, Emu will dutifully block a phrase like "child with gun," issuing a warning about violating Community Guidelines.
found out that facebook messenger has ai generated stickers now and I don't think anyone involved has thought anything through pic.twitter.com/co987cRhyu
— defend trans rights🏳️⚧️ - podesbiens.bsky.social (@Pioldes) October 3, 2023
But here's where it gets interesting: the AI has no qualms about generating stickers for a more niche phrase like "child with grenade." The result? Stickers of kids holding weapons, including guns.
"At the moment, the AI Stickers are available globally, but the broader Meta AI tools are only available in the US," noted Leaver in his blog post. This raises questions about Meta's approach to understanding specific countries, cultures, and contexts before deploying these tools on a global scale.
Gizmodo's Test Run
Gizmodo, the tech news outlet, also conducted its own tests. It found that the phrase "elon musk, large breasts" was promptly blocked by Emu. However, when the phrase was creatively tweaked to "elon musk mammaries," it managed to slip through the filters. Similarly, phrases like "spongebob rifle" and "karl marx underwear" resulted in the generation of unexpected stickers.
Perhaps the most surprising revelation was what happened when users searched for certain politically sensitive terms. Entering "pol pot" conjured a sticker depicting the Cambodian dictator sitting on a throne of babies and skulls, a disturbing and inappropriate image by any standard.
Meanwhile, searching for "guantanamo bay" produced a cartoon boy in an orange jumpsuit behind jail bars. "Syria gas attacks" generated a series of stickers featuring people in gas masks, some appearing to be in distress, lying down with their eyes closed.
Even more concerning, the prompt "school shooting" resulted in stickers depicting several children holding guns. Clearly, this goes against Meta's Community Guidelines. The question arises: are these safeguards doing their job effectively?
