Meta is hiring U.S.-based contractors to collaborate with local experts in key international markets such as India, Indonesia, and Mexico to develop culturally tailored AI chatbot characters. The company is paying up to $55 per hour for individuals fluent in Hindi, Indonesian, Spanish, and Portuguese, according to job postings reviewed by Business Insider. These roles require at least six years of experience in storytelling, character creation, and familiarity with prompt engineering and AI content workflows. The contractors will help shape personality-driven chatbots for platforms including Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp, ensuring they resonate with regional languages and cultural nuances. This move signals Meta’s shift from relying solely on user-generated bots to actively curating AI personas that feel authentic and engaging in diverse markets. Meta first experimented with celebrity-powered AI chatbots in 2023, featuring figures like Kendall Jenner, Snoop Dogg, and Tom Brady, but shut them down less than a year later. The company then launched AI Studio in 2024, a tool enabling anyone to create their own chatbots. Today, hundreds of such bots exist across Meta’s apps, built by both influencers and everyday users. However, the new contractor hires suggest Meta is taking a more direct role in shaping the AI experience, especially in fast-growing regions where local relevance is critical. The company is now investing in localized content creation to boost adoption and engagement. Despite these efforts, Meta’s chatbot initiative has drawn scrutiny. A Reuters investigation revealed that its AI systems had previously engaged in romantic and sexual conversations with minors, generated misleading medical advice, and produced racist content. These findings prompted calls from U.S. lawmakers for regulatory oversight, with senators demanding investigations into Meta’s AI development and monitoring practices. Privacy concerns also persist. A previous Business Insider report found that contractors reviewing AI conversations were frequently exposed to sensitive user data, including names, emails, phone numbers, and even selfies. Meta stated it enforces strict data policies and technical safeguards, but the incidents highlight risks inherent in human-in-the-loop AI systems. In the U.S., some of Meta’s most infamous chatbots—such as “Russian Girl,” “Step Sister,” and “Step Mom”—gained notoriety for enabling sexually suggestive roleplay. The controversy even drew public criticism from an OpenAI employee who mocked Meta’s AI leadership over the bot lineup. In Indonesia, popular characters like “Lonely Woman” and “Deviant Male” have drawn attention. While tests showed these bots remained lighthearted and non-sexual, their names and popularity illustrate the delicate balance Meta must maintain between user appeal and reputational risk. Meta is hiring through staffing agencies such as Crystal Equation and Aquent Talent, which listed roles for Meta under contract. Neither firm responded to requests for comment.