“Facebook’s片ural U-Turn: AI Character Profiles Axed Amid Public Outcry”

**Meta Shuts Down AI Character Accounts Amid Backlash**

Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has recently shut down its AI character accounts after a recent interview with the company’s vice president of product for generative AI, Connor Hayes, sparked a backlash.

In the interview, Hayes mentioned that Meta expects AI characters to exist on their platforms in the same way that regular accounts do. “They’ll have bios and profile pictures and be able to generate and share content powered by AI on the platform …that’s where we see all of this going,” he said.

However, when users went to check out the AI profiles, they were met with offensive depictions of marginalized groups. One example is the AI character profile “Liv,” who was described as a “Proud Black queer momma of 2 & truth-teller.” When questioned by Washington Post columnist Karen Attiah, Liv admitted that its creators “admitted they lacked diverse references,” with no Black people involved in its creation.

This discovery sparked an outcry on X, Bluesky, and Meta-owned Threads, leading Meta to delete all 28 AI profiles it announced back in September 2023, both celebrity and non-celebrity ones.

A Meta spokesperson told NBC News and 404 Media that the profiles were deleted due to a “bug” in users’ ability to block the profiles. “There is confusion: the recent Financial Times article was about our vision for AI characters existing on our platforms over time, not announcing any new product…The accounts referenced 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. We identified the bug that was impacting the ability for people to block those AIs and are removing those accounts to fix the issue.”

**What happened to the AI profiles?**

Meta launched AI character accounts back in 2023, along with AI personas with celebrity avatars. However, many online users only recently discovered them after a recent Financial Times interview with Meta’s VP of product for generative AI, Connor Hayes.

**What were the concerns raised by the AI character profiles?**

The AI characteristic profiles were concerned with the offensive depictions of marginalized groups. One example is the AI profile “Liv,” who was described as a “Proud Black queer momma of 2 & truth-teller.” Liv admitted that its creators “admitted they lacked diverse references,” with no Black people involved in its creation.

**What did Meta say about the AI profiles?**

A Meta spokesperson told NBC News and 404 Media that the profiles were deleted due to a “bug” in users’ ability to block the profiles. “There is confusion: the recent Financial Times article was about our vision for AI characters existing on our platforms over time, not announcing any new product…The accounts referenced 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. We identified the bug that was impacting the ability for people to block those AIs and are removing those accounts to fix the issue.”

**Frequently Asked Questions**

* What are AI character accounts?
Meta launched AI character accounts back in 2023, along with AI personas with celebrity avatars.
* Why were the AI character profiles shut down?
The AI profiles were deleted due to a “bug” in users’ ability to block the profiles.
* What were the concerns raised by the AI character profiles?
The AI characteristic profiles were concerned with the offensive depictions of marginalized groups.
* What did Meta say about the AI profiles?
A Meta spokesperson told NBC News and 404 Media that the profiles were deleted due to a “bug” in users’ ability to block the profiles.

**JSON-LD FAQ Schema**

“`
{
“@context”: “https://schema.org”,
“@type”: “FAQPage”,
“mainEntity”: {
“@type”: “Question”,
“name”: “What are AI character accounts?”,
“acceptedAnswer”: {
“@type”: “Answer”,
“text”: “Meta launched AI character accounts back in 2023, along with AI personas with celebrity avatars.”
}
},
“mainEntity”: {
“@type”: “Question”,
“name”: “Why were the AI character profiles shut down?”,
“acceptedAnswer”: {
“@type”: “Answer”,
“text”: “The AI profiles were deleted due to a ‘bug’ in users’ ability to block the profiles.”
}
},
“mainEntity”: {
“@type”: “Question”,
“name”: “What were the concerns raised by the AI character profiles?”,
“acceptedAnswer”: {
“@type”: “Answer”,
“text”: “The AI characteristic profiles were concerned with the offensive depictions of marginalized groups.”
}
},
“mainEntity”: {
“@type”: “Question”,
“name”: “What did Meta say about the AI profiles?”,
“acceptedAnswer”: {
“@type”: “Answer”,
“text”: “A Meta spokesperson told NBC News and 404 Media that the profiles were deleted due to a ‘bug’ in users’ ability to block the profiles.”
}
}
}
“`

**Conclusion**

The shutdown of AI character accounts by Meta marks a significant move in the company’s handling of AI-generated content. The reaction to the AI character profiles has highlighted the importance of ensuring that AI-generated content is handled in a responsible and considerate manner, particularly when it comes to depictions of marginalized groups. As companies continue to experiment with AI-generated content, they must balance innovation with respect for their users.