So, like, in case you missed it, Meta (you know, the people who brought us Facebook and Instagram) rolled out these super high-tech AI-powered profiles in 2023. They were all, “OMG, we’re gonna make social media soooo much fun!” Some of them were based on celebs like Kendall Jenner and Snoop Dogg, and others were quirky like “Jane Austen,” the “cynical novelist,” and “Carter,” who was, like, a virtual love guru.
But guess what? By mid-2024, Meta was like, “Yeah, no. This isn’t working,” and started ditching these profiles faster than you’d block your ex.
Apparently, these AI personas gave people major ick. Like, users legit found them creepy. One TikToker ranted, “Why is Meta trying to make me talk to a robot named Jane Austen? This is giving me dystopian nightmare energy.” And let’s be real, if your idea flops on TikTok, is it even worth it?
Even Meta couldn’t ignore the bad vibes. According to a report from The Verge, users just didn’t engage with these bots. Instead of boosting the cool factor, they ended up making the platforms feel kinda desperate.
Okay, but here’s the thing: Even after most AI profiles got the boot, some stuck around. They were labeled as “AI managed by Meta,” which was, like, sooo cringe. Take “Liv,” for example—a bot described as a “proud Black queer momma of 2 & truth-teller.” Users dragged Meta for creating an AI that tried to represent marginalized identities without, like, any actual depth.
One user tweeted, “Meta creating Liv is peak performative. Who thought this was a good idea?”
And oh-em-gee, it gets worse. There was a bug that made it literally impossible to block these AI profiles. People were so over it. “I can’t even block a robot? Meta, fix your app,” complained another user on Instagram.
Facing the backlash, Meta execs kinda had to own up to the mess. In a statement, the company said, “We’re aware of user concerns and are actively working to address them. Removing these AI profiles is part of our commitment to improving the platform experience.”
Andrew Bosworth, Meta’s CTO, added, “We want to ensure that our technology serves our community in meaningful ways. It’s clear these profiles didn’t resonate the way we had hoped.”
So, what’s the takeaway here? Like, for real, it seems like Meta thought AI profiles would be the next big thing, but instead, they were a total flop. This whole situation just screams, “Know your audience!”
It’s kinda funny, though, because AI is, like, everywhere now—except on Facebook and Instagram. Looks like Meta will be back to the drawing board, but hopefully, they won’t try anything this weird again.
As one user perfectly put it: “We didn’t ask for AI influencers. Just give us chronological feeds and chill.” Preach, girl.
XOXO,
Valley Girl News
Image generated by AI.
