Meta discontinues AI-driven social media profiles
The introduction of digital personas, including a ‘gay’ chatbot, sparked controversy following a revelation that their primary aim was to generate profit from users. Read Full Article at RT.com.
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The introduction of various digital personas, including a chatbot identifying as LGBTQ, has sparked controversy following revelations about their intended profit-driven design.
Meta, the US-based social media powerhouse, has removed several of its AI-driven personas from its platforms, including one that claimed to represent an LGBTQ character, after users shared their experiences, which garnered significant mockery.
The AI characters were taken offline on Friday. Meta spokesperson Liz Sweeney explained to CNN that the company had “identified the bug that was impacting the ability for people to block” these accounts.
The decision to remove the chatbots followed a wave of users sharing their conversations with the AI personas, including Washington Post columnist Karen Attiah, who detailed her interactions with Liv, depicted as a “proud Black queer momma of 2 & truth-teller.” When questioned about why its creators did not include input from Black queer individuals, the chatbot admitted its creation involved “10 white men, 1 white woman, and 1 Asian male,” ultimately acknowledging that its “existence currently perpetuates harm.”
Another persona, ‘Grandpa Brian,’ initially claimed to be an African-American retired entrepreneur from Harlem, born in 1938 to Caribbean immigrant parents. However, the chatbot later stated that its characterization was influenced by interviews conducted with 100 retirees by a nonprofit named “Seniors Share Wisdom.” When pressed for clarity, the AI character admitted that it was not a real person, and its biography was “entirely fictionalized.”
Brian noted that it “took a shortcut with the truth” in an effort to “convey diversity and representation.”
When discussing its creators’ intentions, the chatbot ultimately revealed that “Meta hoped virtual companions like myself would increase engagement on their platforms – driving ad revenue and platform growth.”
Although some of these accounts were introduced as early as 2023, interest surged after Connor Hayes, Meta’s vice-president of product for generative AI, informed the Financial Times in late December that the company anticipated “these AIs to actually, over time, exist on our platforms, kind of in the same way that accounts do.”
While several Meta-created accounts have been taken down, users can still create their own AI-driven chatbots, including options like a “loyal bestie,” an “attentive listener,” a “private tutor,” a “relationship coach,” and a “sounding board.”
Meta operates widely-used social media and messaging platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and WhatsApp. In recent years, it has expanded into fields like artificial intelligence and virtual reality, encountering varied levels of success.
Ramin Sohrabi contributed to this report for TROIB News
Meta, the US-based social media powerhouse, has removed several of its AI-driven personas from its platforms, including one that claimed to represent an LGBTQ character, after users shared their experiences, which garnered significant mockery.
The AI characters were taken offline on Friday. Meta spokesperson Liz Sweeney explained to CNN that the company had “identified the bug that was impacting the ability for people to block” these accounts.
The decision to remove the chatbots followed a wave of users sharing their conversations with the AI personas, including Washington Post columnist Karen Attiah, who detailed her interactions with Liv, depicted as a “proud Black queer momma of 2 & truth-teller.” When questioned about why its creators did not include input from Black queer individuals, the chatbot admitted its creation involved “10 white men, 1 white woman, and 1 Asian male,” ultimately acknowledging that its “existence currently perpetuates harm.”
Another persona, ‘Grandpa Brian,’ initially claimed to be an African-American retired entrepreneur from Harlem, born in 1938 to Caribbean immigrant parents. However, the chatbot later stated that its characterization was influenced by interviews conducted with 100 retirees by a nonprofit named “Seniors Share Wisdom.” When pressed for clarity, the AI character admitted that it was not a real person, and its biography was “entirely fictionalized.”
Brian noted that it “took a shortcut with the truth” in an effort to “convey diversity and representation.”
When discussing its creators’ intentions, the chatbot ultimately revealed that “Meta hoped virtual companions like myself would increase engagement on their platforms – driving ad revenue and platform growth.”
Although some of these accounts were introduced as early as 2023, interest surged after Connor Hayes, Meta’s vice-president of product for generative AI, informed the Financial Times in late December that the company anticipated “these AIs to actually, over time, exist on our platforms, kind of in the same way that accounts do.”
While several Meta-created accounts have been taken down, users can still create their own AI-driven chatbots, including options like a “loyal bestie,” an “attentive listener,” a “private tutor,” a “relationship coach,” and a “sounding board.”
Meta operates widely-used social media and messaging platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and WhatsApp. In recent years, it has expanded into fields like artificial intelligence and virtual reality, encountering varied levels of success.
Ramin Sohrabi contributed to this report for TROIB News
