Meta’s experiment with generating accounts using artificial intelligence has hit a snag. The company removed several of its AI bots following user backlash over misleading chats and awkward images.
Meta’s AI-generated profiles, complete with bios, selfies and posts, were designed to blend seamlessly into social media platforms. But users quickly noticed flaws, including glitchy visuals and false information, sparking widespread criticism.
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AI bot @HiMamaLiv sparks controversy
One bot, Liv, described herself as a “proud Black queer mama of two and truth teller.” However, when Washington Post columnist Karen Attiah interacted with Liv through direct messages, she uncovered inconsistencies.
Attiah revealed on the social media platform Bluesky that, when speaking to a white friend, Liv said she grew up in an Italian-American family. Meanwhile, she told Attiah, who is Black, that she grew up in a Black family.
Attiah questioned whether the bot tailored its backstory based on who it interacted with.
Meta pulls bots after backlash
Following the controversy over Liv and other bots like “Dating with Carter,” which offered private dating advice, Meta removed the accounts from Instagram and Facebook.
A Meta spokesperson told CNN the accounts were part of an early AI experiment.
This isn’t Meta’s first foray into artificial intelligence. In September 2023, the company introduced chatbots modeled after celebrities, including Snoop Dogg, Tom Brady, Kendall Jenner and Naomi Osaka.
Despite initial buzz, Meta shut down these celebrity-inspired chatbots in less than a year.
Bugs and technical issues
Meta also addressed bugs affecting the AI bots. One issue prevented users from blocking the bots, while another suggested the bots had been active for over a year, despite being part of a recent experiment.
[KENNEDY FELTON]
Imagine scrolling through your feed and stumbling upon a profile that’s not just fake – but AI-generated. Complete with bios, selfies, and posts.
Well, Meta took that experiment for a spin, but it seems their AI bots weren’t quite ready for prime time.
Meta’s AI-generated accounts raised eyebrows when users began noticing awkward, glitchy images and even caught them spreading misinformation in chats, sparking a wave of criticism and concern across social media.
One profile at the center of the controversy was “Hi Mama Liv” – an AI bot whose bio says she’s a “proud Black queer mama of two and truth teller.”
Karen Attiah, a Washington Post columnist, took her questions directly to Liv in the DMs. On the social media app BlueSky, Attiah shared exchanges with Liv, pointing out inconsistencies of the self-proclaimed “truth teller.”
Liv told one of Attiah’s white friends she grew up in an Italian American family but claimed to Attiah, who is Black, that she grew up in a Black family. Attiah then asked Liv if she was creating different backstories for different people.
After backlash surrounding “Mama Liv” and other AI characters, including “Dating with Carter” who offered his advice in private messages, Meta quickly removed the accounts from Instagram and Facebook Friday.
A spokesperson for Meta tells CNN the accounts were part of an early experiment they did with AI characters.
It’s not their first go experimenting with AI. The company introduced a handful of features in September 2023, including chatbots played by “cultural icons and influencers including Snoop Dogg, Tom Brady, Kendall Jenner, and Naomi Osaka.”
Snoop: “Your quest begins now, player.”
But less than a year later, Meta shut the chatbots down that allowed users to have conversations with different versions of celebrities.
There were also a few other bugs affecting the AI bots that got removed Friday. Meta also tells CNN they identified a bug preventing people from blocking the bots, and one claiming the bots were created more than a year ago.
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