Meta wants to fill your social media feeds with bots  here's why I think it's
wrong

Date:
Fri, 03 Jan 2025 10:37:17 +0000

Description:
Meta plans to fill platforms with AI chatbots.

FULL STORY
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Meta is dreaming of its social platforms brimming with helpful AI-generated
profiles and content fueled by the models underlying Meta AI , according to
recent comments by Connor Hayes, vice-president of product for generative AI
at Meta in an interview with the FT . 

Of course, logging onto Facebook and seeing a "user" named Clara_ChefBot_9000
posting AI-generated pie recipes might sound like a great way to drive
engagement to Facebook's bosses, but it isn't quite the same as scrolling
through your Aunt Susans baking photos. Regardless, Meta's vision of a
platform brimming with relatable AI personalities is already beginning to 
roll out and if that doesnt make you want to power down your devices and take
a walk outside, let's look closer at what this might actually entail. 

The charm of social media has always been people. The whole point is seeing
people sharing their lives. The oversharing, humble bragging, and dumb
arguments about pineapple on pizza can irritate you, but at least you're
rolling your eyes about real people. AI-generated profiles, no matter how
sophisticated, will always lack that authenticity. Sure, Clara_ChefBot_9000
might be able to generate recipes, but shell never know the joy of burning 
her first batch of cookies or the embarrassment of a recipe flop posted to a
very judgmental audience. 

Then theres the issue of trust. Were already grappling with deepfakes and
AI-generated misinformation, not to mention people sharing a curated view of
their lives as artificial as any algorithm. Do we really need bots with
profile pictures trying to convince us of their personal opinions? Imagine
arguing with a bot about politics, sports, or the aforementioned pizza
topping, only to realize its been programmed to needle you into buying a
product.

AI optimism 

When AI assists humans in creative efforts, it can pull off some amazing
feats, but when AI tries to mimic human creativity, it rapidly becomes dull
slop or simply nonsense. Do we really need our newsfeeds clogged with bots
sharing AI-generated memes or supposedly relatable status updates? And that's
if they don't just go off the rails with errors. Imagine a feed full of AI
profiles posting Happy Mothers Day in the middle of November. 

Meta AI can be fun (especially once you know how to turn it off ), and 
there's real value in an AI capable of entertaining you with conversation.
Maybe Clara_ChefBot_9000 can offer you some cooking tips at midnight. That's
not a real, human connection, though. A chatbot might tell you how to bake a
souffle, but it wont commiserate with you when it collapses. 

Meta might argue that these bots could help users with practical tasks, but
that doesn't mean there should be a million AI characters on the platforms.
Social media platform SocialAI is attempting to sell people on that idea. Its
mobile app connects each user only to AI chatbots they are supposed to
interact with; they won't encounter other humans there. That might be okay in
limited contexts, but it makes no sense for Facebook or Instagram. 

Social media exploded because it was a fantastic way to connect with people
and make friends. AI cant completely replace that. Instead of filling the
platform with fake users, Meta should focus on enhancing the experience for
the real ones. Otherwise, they risk creating a digital ghost town.

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Link to news story:
https://www.techradar.com/computing/artificial-intelligence/meta-wants-to-fill
-your-social-media-feeds-with-bots-heres-why-i-think-its-wrong

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