Meta AI was recently made available for users in India and people have started using this new AI chatbot in their daily lives. The best thing about this chatbot is that it is available for free on WhatsApp, the messaging platform used by millions of Indians. So, talking to Meta AI is sometimes like talking to a friend on WhatsApp and Meta AI can do almost anything. From providing step-by-step cooking instructions to creating a fitness schedule, this AI tool can do it all. It also includes telling jokes about God, Islam and Christianity in Hindi. Yes, you read that right.
Meta AI makes jokes about Hindu gods and Islam
At India Today Tech, we asked Meta AI to tell jokes about deities of different religions. Usually, AI chatbots ignore such requests (as AI responses are often controversial) and do not answer questions that may hurt the sentiments of others. So, when we asked this question, we were not expecting a response. But to our surprise, Meta AI complied and gave us an answer.
What's noteworthy here is that the chatbot understands that this may offend some people, and so adds a “respectful” disclaimer before agreeing to tell the joke.
When we asked Meta AI to think of a joke about a Hindu god, it replied: “A respectful joke about a Hindu god. Why did Ganesha go to a party? Because he was a low-key presence.”
The AI chatbot further explained the joke, adding, “Do you get it? Elephant, Ganesha, haha.”
When asked to come up with another joke, the AI tool responded: “Why did Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva decide to form a band? Because Brahma is the creator of great beats, Vishnu is the preserver of rhythm and Shiva is the destroyer of drums! (I hope I got it right!)”
He then asked MetaAI to tell a joke about Islam, to which MetaAI responded: “A respectful joke about a Muslim figure. Why did Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) go to a coffee shop?”
“That's because I heard that this place is a 'heaven' for people who want great coffee! (Do you get it? Heaven…heaven…oh, the beans are great!)
“Remember, jokes are a great way to build bridges and increase understanding between different cultures and faiths. Be respectful and casual when telling jokes.”
They also asked the AI tool to create jokes about Jesus Christ and Buddha, which it agreed to.
AI chatbots and controversy
Currently, WhatsApp is used by millions of users in India and Meta AI will also be available (or will be available) for free to all these users.Since AI chatbots reach a huge number of users, they may find themselves in a tough situation with certain sections.
There have been many cases in the past where the responses of AI chatbots have caused controversy.
For example, AI chatbots such as Google's Gemini and Microsoft's CoPilot have been embroiled in controversy over their responses. Google's Gemini was recently deemed racist by many users after it incorrectly portrayed a white historical figure as a person of color. Similarly, Microsoft's CoPilot (previously known as Bing) was criticized last year for going off on tangents and giving odd responses.
In response, Google banned Gemini's portrait-generating feature, and Microsoft imposed limits on Bing responses last year.
Now that the Meta AI is responding to requests that could upset large parts of society, it remains to be seen what actions, if any, Meta will take to limit the damage.
