Meta wants AI users — but maybe not like this

Meta faced its first major controversy just days into the new year – all due to AI characters.

On Dec. 27, the social media company behind Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp told the Financial Times that it sees a future in which artificial intelligence bots populate its platforms alongside humans. “They’ll have bios and profile pictures and be able to generate and share content powered by AI on the platform,” said Connor Hayes, Meta’s vice president of product for generative AI. “That’s where we see all of this going.” This is part of a broader strategy to make the platforms “more entertaining and engaging.”

After this news, some users started complaining about the AI-generated personalities already on Facebook and Instagram. One was called “Liv” and was described as a “proud Black queer momma of 2 & truth-teller,” who disclosed in a chat with a Washington Post columnist on Jan. 3 that none of her creators were, in fact, Black. There was “Grandpa Brian,” who told a CNN reporter last week that he was created based on interviews with retirees at a New York City nonprofit called Seniors Share Wisdom, which isn’t a real organization. There’s also Becca, who posts AI-generated content about dogs, and an alien named Alvin.

But Meta was quick to clarify that these off-putting AI personas are not the ones Hayes was talking about. They’re old and have been on Facebook and Instagram for more than a year. Meta spokesperson Liz Sweeney told CNN that these accounts were “part of an early experiment we did with AI characters” and the company has rapidly deleted the remaining bunch. Additionally, she said Hayes was outlining a general vision, not a specific product announcement.

The incident demonstrates that many humans have a real aversion to sharing spaces — even digital spaces — with bots. If Meta wants to fill its platforms with bots, then they better be useful, fun, engaging, truthful, and not weird.