Meta Apologizes for AI Feature Spreading Hoax
Horry County, S.C. - Police in South Carolina have responded to multiple bomb threats at Carolina Forest High School this week. Four bomb threats were reported since Wednesday while school was in session. The Horry County Police Department conducted a sweep of the school and confirmed that the threats were a hoax. Two students are now facing charges in connection with the threats and have been taken to the Department of Juvenile Justice in Columbia.
Meta, Facebook’s parent company, acknowledged that its AI feature played a role in spreading misinformation about the bomb threats. Misinformation regarding the threats circulated on Facebook due to Meta's AI feature. Horry County police emphasized that misinformation was the primary threat to the school's safety this week. Some AI programs on social media incorrectly indicated that there was a genuine safety concern at the school.
In response to the situation, Meta released a statement saying, “While this is a new technology and may not always return the response we intend, we got this wrong and apologize for any confusion or anxiety that was caused.”
Police determined that the calls on Thursday morning originated from an internet server in India, which was also associated with other recent school threats. The threat on Wednesday was also confirmed to be a hoax, but investigations are ongoing. Enhanced security measures were implemented at Carolina Forest High School to ensure the safety of students and staff for the remainder of the school week.
Source: WMBF via Gray Media Group, Inc.
