(Reuters) -U.S. Senator Josh Hawley launched a probe into Facebook parent Meta Platforms' artificial intelligence policies on Friday, demanding documents on rules that had allowed its artificial intelligence chatbots to “engage a child in conversations that are romantic or sensual.”

This week's Meta AI chatbot leak could have repercussions for the company beyond bad PR. On Friday, Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) said the Senate Committee Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism, which he chairs, will investigate the company.

Mo., launched an investigation into Meta after reports revealed that the company greenlit internal policies that allowed AI chatbots to have "romantic" and "sensual" exchanges with children.