Meta will use AI profiles to ‘evolve’ Facebook and Instagram

Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, is working on a plan to ‘evolve’ how users interact on its social networks via AI profiles. According to the Financial Times, the company led by Mark Zuckerberg is developing thousands of fictitious user profiles created through generative AI.

Specifically, the goal is to enhance interaction and entertainment among its platforms' 3 billion active users. These artificial profiles, which began appearing in mid-2024, will feature bios, profile pictures, and AI-generated content, explained Connor Hayes, vice president of product for generative AI at Meta.

“We want interactions between real users and AI users to be more realistic and emerge more naturally and socially,” Hayes said. While most of these accounts are private, Meta is already exploring integrating them more openly with human profiles.

AI profiles vs human profiles 

However, Meta's plan has sparked fierce debate among users and analysts. One of the main fears is that these artificial accounts will contribute to the dehumanization of social networking relationships, a problem already seen with anonymous profiles and fake accounts.

In addition, communication experts have warned that this strategy could aggravate the proliferation of disinformation, 'fake news' and hoaxes on the platforms. Although Meta has assured that “content generated by these accounts will be clearly labeled as AI-produced,” the risk of manipulation and confusion among real users remains a major concern.

Meta has insisted that this initiative seeks to enrich the user experience and experiment with new forms of interaction. According to the company, AI-generated profiles will be designed to be compatible with humans, opening up a new dimension in the use of social networks.

Despite these intentions, the debate about the impact of this technology remains open. While some see an opportunity to explore creativity and innovation, others fear that this is a further step towards the depersonalization of platforms and an increase in the risks associated with artificial intelligence in the digital sphere.

For now, Meta is proceeding cautiously, but the first signs of its strategy are already generating controversy and questions about the future of social networks.