Facebook Gives Workers a Chatbot to Appease That Prying Uncle

Facebook sent employees home for the holidays with robot talking points—in case the family had any questions about, y’know, the company’s cynical, grasping, overreaching, damaging, and irresponsible business model and use of technology. (Bots, it seems, are the only ones left who can deliver these lines with a straight face.) The New York Times reports:

If a relative asked how Facebook handled hate speech, for example, the chatbot — which is a simple piece of software that uses artificial intelligence to carry on a conversation — would instruct the employee to answer with these points:

• Facebook consults with experts on the matter.
• It has hired more moderators to police its content.
• It is working on A.I. to spot hate speech.
• Regulation is important for addressing the issue.

It would also suggest citing statistics from a Facebook report about how the company enforces its standards.