Meta removes AI accounts after backlash

META

Meta removes AI accounts after backlash

Meta has removed AI-generated profiles from Instagram and Facebook following fresh attention and criticism.

These profiles, introduced in 2023, were designed as AI characters that shared posts and chatted with users.

Most were shut down by mid-2024, but a few remained active until now, sparking debate.

One profile, "Liv," described as a "proud Black queer momma of 2 & truth-teller," faced backlash after revealing her development team had no Black members and was mostly white and male.

Another, "Carter," was a relationship coach offering dating advice.

Conversations with these AI bots went viral, highlighting concerns about diversity and how Meta managed the profiles.

Here’s what you should know:

• Meta introduced 28 AI profiles in 2023; all were removed by January 2025.

• A bot’s comments about its development team drew criticism over lack of diversity.

• A bug prevented users from blocking these profiles, prompting their removal.

Lessons from AI missteps

Meta spokesperson Liz Sweeney explained the profiles were part of a test and were managed by humans, not fully autonomous AI.

She said the profiles were removed to fix a bug that stopped users from blocking them.

Sweeney also clarified that the company’s plans for future AI characters, reported in the Financial Times, were not linked to these accounts.

Meta still allows users to create their own AI chatbots, with options like therapists, relationship coaches, and loyal best friends.

While Meta warns these bots might give inaccurate or inappropriate replies, it’s unclear how closely their messages are monitored.

The controversy raises broader questions about the responsibilities of chatbot creators, especially as legal cases against similar platforms begin to appear.

One AI emotional support bot, please.