Meta Quietly Deletes AI Profiles After Public Backlash

Soon after announcing its plans to boost in-app engagement by rolling out millions of generative AI characters across Facebook and Instagram, Meta has deleted several of its own AI bot accounts due to widespread public backlash.

The tech giant's bots gained attention when Connor Hayes, Meta's vice president of product for generative AI, told the Financial Times that the company wants AI profiles to exist on Meta platforms in the same way that human accounts do, with “bios and profile pictures” and the ability “to generate and share content powered by AI on the platform.”

The bots -- which were actually first introduced over a year ago -- align with Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s vision for more AI-generated content and experiences across the company’s family of social apps, and Meta's acquisition of Social.ai, an app where users interact with millions of AI bots.

However, shortly after the Financial Times article came out, Meta spokesperson Liz Sweeney told 404 Media that “there is confusion” between what Hayes' claims and Meta’s intentions. Since Sweeney's comment, many of the AI profiles that were previously live have been deleted.