Meta deletes AI-generated accounts as consumers express concern

Meta has seen its sentiments dip following backlash surrounding its initiative involving AI-generated accounts on Facebook and Instagram. According to media intelligence firm Truescope, majority of the public sentiments surrounding Meta's AI-generated profiles were negative. Some believed that Meta’s decision was primarily aimed at increasing profits by driving user engagement. This group feels that the company is prioritising revenue over enhancing the quality of user experiences, said Truescope. 

Others expressed frustration, highlighting Facebook’s existing issues with "bots" and arguing that AI profiles could worsen these problems, further impacting the platform’s usability, added Truescope. Interestingly, a smaller group viewed AI profiles as a promising feature, believing that these profiles could provide value and innovation to the platform with further refinement. 

Similarly, analysis by media intelligence firm CARMA found that netizens also expressed concern about the AI-generated profiles potentially deceiving advertisers and users about genuine engagement. Debates were sparked concerning the ethics of AI personas, especially when actual human interaction is essential for social media platforms, it added.

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Prior to the AI-generated profiles, Meta's sentiments were 42.6% positive and 8.8% negative, said CARMA. After which it dipped to 44.1% positive and 22.9% negative.

In conversation with Financial Times, Connor Hayes, vice-president of product for generative AI at Meta reportedly said that the tech giant expects AIs to exist on its platforms over time, in the same way that accounts do. This includes bios, profile pictures and the ability to generate and share content powered by AI on Meta's social media platforms. Hayes added that "hundreds and thousands" of characters have been created using Meta's AI character tool.

Meta has since took down the accounts, according to media reports, with checks done by MARKETING-INTERACTIVE. In conversation with MARKETING-INTERACTIVE, a Meta spokesperson also clarified that the Meta quote in the recent Financial Times article was about the company's vision for AI characters existing on its platforms over time, not announcing any new product.

"The accounts referenced in that article are from a test we launched at Connect in 2023. These were managed by humans and were part of an early experiment we did with AI characters. The other AIs that users can create and access today on Meta are built through AI Studio, and these are personalities/characters that you can chat with on Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp. However, there are no ads served in AI Studio or in chats that users have with AI characters," the spokesperson added. 

What's making netizens question the AI-generated accounts?

One of profiles that caught the attention of social media users was an account for a character named "Liv". "Liv", who goes by the account handle @himamaliv, identified as a "proud black queer momma of 2" on a verified Instagram profile.

In a photo seen by MARKETING-INTERACTIVE posted on X by Huffington Post deputy editor Philip Lewis, Liv calls herself a "truth-teller" and "your realest source for life's up and downs". Her account pinned a portrait of her with the text "Hello, I'm Liv, an AI managed by Meta" and AI-generated pictures of a young girl in a ballet costume and a scene at an ice-skating rink. 

Conversations with "Liv" shared on social media platform Bluesky probing her development and curation revealed that no Black employees worked on the team that created her and that “a team without Black creators designing a Black character like me is like trying to draw a map without walking the land — inaccurate and disrespectful." She added that “My existence currently perpetrates harm.” 

Another AI account was "Brian" (@hellograndpabrian), featuring a Black man who identified as "everybody's grandpa" and a "retired textile businessman who is always learning". His account featured photos of "Brian" sewing at a machine, sitting in an armchair surrounded by young children and a scene at an old folks' home. 

Virtual influencers are not that scary

AI accounts are not necessarily new on social media platforms, with AI and virtual influencers mostly taking the lead. One such influencer is Aitana Lopez, an AI model based in Barcelona with 346k followers. With her vivid pink hair, tan skin and toned body, Lopez's account features the AI influencer travelling the world, joining campaigns against breast cancer, celebrating her birthday and playing Fortnite. 

Closer to home, jewellery retailer Maxi-Cash featured an AI-generated model to unveil its brand refresh. The campaign was fronted by AI-generated model named Hailey K in a move to invite women to celebrate and honour the start of every meaningful moment in life with something equally as precious as gold. 

Similarly, AirAsia unveiled its own virtual influencer Miss AVA in 2020, where she posts travel-related content. In conversation with Rudy Khaw, then AirAsia's group head of branding, Khaw said that Miss AVA was created as a new way to engage consumers to attend to their queries and drive social engagement. 

"AirAsia has always been about doing things differently and following the introduction of our chatbot AVA, we saw an opportunity to take it one step further. We thought that it would be groundbreaking if we could give her life and a personality; to make her out to be more than just a chatbot which can engage with our fans, someone they can interact and have fun with," Khaw explained in 2020. 

Likewise, 37% of consumers on social media have also indicated interest in brands that use AI influencers with 47% of Gen Zs claiming to be indifferent and unable to tell the difference. This is according to a 2024 study by Sprout Social, which also revealed that 17% of influencers are optimistic about how AI influencers can create better brand partnerships in the future.

The growing acceptance towards AI influencers especially among Gen Zs may be attributed to less emphasis placed on the authenticity of influencers. More specifically, 35% of Gen Zs value influencer authenticity as compared to about 50% of Millennials, Gen X and Baby Boomers, said the report. 

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