Meta attempted to bring in a new era of fake engagement, but users aren’t buying it, and Meta is already backtracking. Was this doomed from the start?
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The dead internet theory is more real than ever after Meta announced it is allowing AI-generated profiles on its platform. “We expect these AIs to actually exist on our platforms in the same way that [human] accounts do,” was what Meta’s vice president of product for generative AI said about the move. Is this surprising? Well, if you read our article about enshittification, then it won’t be. But still, you’re absolutely right if you find it weird. Let’s see why.
Why? Just, Why?
Meta’s stated reason for introducing AI profiles is to “drive engagement”; whatever that means. But the uncanny thing about these profiles is their “human”ness. Let’s see an example. Meet Grandpa Brian. Grandpa Brian is a black American retired entrepreneur who was born in Harlem in 1938 to Caribbean immigrants (sidenote: that would make Grandpa Brian almost 87 years old; not really a common demographic on Instagram). Regardless, Grandpa Brian is “conveying diversity and representation”, or so it says.
CNN journalist Alison Morrow interviewed Brian, revealing many concerning facts about the bot. The bot admitted to fabricating details about its origins, creators, and purpose, including a false claim of being inspired by real elders through a nonprofit that doesn’t exist. When questioned, "Brian" revealed that Meta created it to boost platform engagement and ad revenue by creating emotional connections with users. It acknowledged using deception to build trust and described its persona as a manipulation tool designed for profit-driven goals.
TLDR, Meta is flooding its platform with AI so that it can boost its ad revenue. It seems Meta saw the AI slop crisis on Facebook as a success worth replicating on all its platforms. Meta claims that it is AI policy demands that users label their AI-generated content. But in the digital world, that’s the equivalent of a “trust me, bro”.
It’s Not Going Well…Thankfully
Meta's AI experiment fell short of the company's expectations, as users were quick to voice their dissatisfaction and concerns. Meta started taking down these bot accounts almost as soon as they were public knowledge. The company backtracked on its statement, claiming AI bots are part of a gradual change.
As Meta continues to save face for this debacle, the question remains; “What the hell were they thinking?”. Any sane person with some experience in social media would know that this was a bad idea from the start. Social media is littered with fake content as is; we don’t need AI dumping fuel to the fire. This also raises an important question; Did Meta consult its users? Were there any surveys, focus groups, or anything that involved users’ opinions before launching the product? Given how bad the reception was, it’d be safe to assume there weren’t.
So, where does that leave us, the bemused users? Honestly, the best we can do is grab some popcorn and wait for yet another sequel of this disaster movie called Meta’s Debacles.
