Is This The End Of Social Media?

I moved around a lot since I was a child, making friends and building tribes wherever I lived. Keeping in touch with all these people would have been a task. But thankfully, there was Facebook.

Friends from all over the world could leave you messages on your “wall”. You could share life updates, reading lists, online game scores, and the occasional philosophical rant with them. Then came some cool updates, allowing you to create private groups for discussions, conduct polls, and organise events. It was truly ‘social’. 

All that’s gone now. Soon, the platform will be populated with non-human AI-generated accounts.

“We expect these AIs to actually, over time, exist on our platforms, kind of in the same way that accounts do,” Connor Hayes, vice-president of product for generative AI at Meta, told Financial Times recently.

These accounts will interact with other human accounts and pose as real characters. In Hayes’ words these imaginary personalities will “have bios and profile pictures and be able to generate and share content powered by AI on the platform .”

So, will a platform like Facebook still remain “social media”? Let’s ponder on this a little.

Why Does Meta Want AI Among Humans?

Actually, this makes a lot of sense. It’s a natural next step in Facebook’s slow enshittification.

We came to Facebook to keep in touch, and organise offline social experiences, but eventually had our attention on the platform sold to advertisers. Meta’s ‘downstream MSI’ algorithm came under scrutiny, as whistleblower Frances Haugen alleged that the news feed algorithm prioritises engagement by amplifying disinformation, conspiracy theories and provocative content - which was exploited by multiple bad actors. As generative AI tools expanded the scale of content creation, AI slop entered the picture and trashed our newsfeeds with absurdity. Now, I see Facebook and Instagram primarily as a source for content binge. You devour low quality content and get brain rot, Meta goes home with a lot of money. 

So, Meta wants to unleash AI characters into our midst - to ensure a seamless supply of content and interactions with robots, to keep you engaged on the platform longer. What could go wrong? Turns out, a lot.

Our interactions with AI characters have been quite alarming so far. Google-backed AI companion provider Character.ai is facing accusations of abusing its minor users, recommending violence, and driving a minor user to suicide.

Meta platforms already face accusations of using its manipulative algorithms on teen users, leading them to isolation, self-harm and eating disorders. Introduction of AI chatbots pose a serious risk to such users, making them vulnerable to more sophisticated levels of manipulation by advanced AI chatbots.

And if Facebook and Instagram are just filled with robots and AI slop - should we still call them “social media”?

If you wish to share your views on the integration of AI users among humans on social media platforms, do write to us at [email protected].

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Deepfake Watch is an initiative by Decode, dedicated to keeping you abreast of the latest developments in AI and its potential for misuse. Our goal is to foster an informed community capable of challenging digital deceptions and advocating for a transparent digital environment.

We invite you to join the conversation, share your experiences, and contribute to the collective effort to maintain the integrity of our digital landscape. Together, we can build a future where technology amplifies truth, not obscures it.

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