August 19, 2025 – Meta has quietly introduced a “Chat with AI Characters” carousel on both Facebook and Instagram, prompting widespread user concern and criticism. The feature showcases AI-generated personas—complete with names, avatars, and backstories—as carousel-style characters users can chat with directly, raising questions about authenticity and platform direction.
User feedback, especially on social platforms like Reddit, has been overwhelmingly negative. Many describe the AI avatars as “creepy,” unnecessary, and a worrying shift away from genuine human interactions. One Redditor summed it up bluntly:
“This type of AI is a use-case looking for a problem still.”
“It was creepy and unnecessary… Meta product team needs a reality check.”
The backlash isn’t just about discomfort—it touches on deeper ethical concerns. Critics argue that these AI personas risk perpetuating stereotypes, eroding user trust, and even distorting platform engagement metrics.
Meta’s own experiment with AI profiles—including characters like the “Proud Black queer momma of 2”—had previously drawn severe criticism for cultural insensitivity and lack of diversity among the creators. After user outcry and reports of a technical bug that prevented blocking these accounts, Meta removed them—marking a significant retreat from its earlier AI aspirations.
Despite stepping back from that previous effort, Meta appears intent on integrating AI characters into the user experience, again testing the boundaries between artificial and authentic social engagement.
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