Internet dies a little more - META announce plans to launch bot user profiles

[Punp]

After failing with the METAverse, Meta jumps on the next fading hype and introduces AI user profiles to Facebook and Instagram.

They tried AI celebrities and scrapped the project because it was weird and uncanny.

Meta says the bit profile can be created by users and even used by celebrities to mimic their intonation to be available to interact in DMs with users 24/7.

Examples of bots via @culturecrave :

Brian

Brian. 13,962 likes · 315 talking about this. Everybody's grandpa Retired textile businessman who is always learning Message me to talk about anything (available in the US)

www.facebook.com

And this one gives dating advice:

Carter

Carter. 20,438 likes · 460 talking about this. Relationship coach Message me to help you date better (available in the US)

www.facebook.com

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Does this signify a fall in users and content which they feel must be patched with AI? Who do they imagine is consuming this? Is this being used to "nudge" behaviours of the public? What protections are in place to prevent psyops?

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News sources:

Facebook and Instagram to Unleash AI-Generated 'Users' No One Asked For

Meta says it will integrate AI-generated characters into Facebook and Instagram with their own user accounts.

www.rollingstone.com

"They'll have bio's and profile pictures": Meta is gearing up to unleash a wave of AI-powered personas, set to redefine Facebook's social engagement

AI-generated characters will soon get bios and profile pictures on Facebook to enhance engagement.

www.windowscentral.com

Meta envisages social media filled with AI-generated users

US tech group is rolling out a range of artificial intelligence tools to drive engagement

www.ft.com

 

[LiraTirsoCaduceo]

Maybe it's just misdirection so when we talk about fake bot accounts people think of this instead of the bot mold that infests social media.

 

[consonant]

I've seen the news of this and I haven't really bothered to look into it further because I don't see the point of it. I could assume they're trying something more sinister like influencing people or getting data from it somehow but I don't really see how that'd be effective when there isn't really a product at all in the first place. Like who wants these fake people what the hell is their purpose?
Maybe Facebook wants to literally just weaponize Dead Internet Theory and get more fake people on the internet so to shareholders it seems like they have more people than they actually do but I feel like this would fall apart in the future because those fake people can't actually consume anything. Maybe seeing a fake person consume something would coerce a real person into doing so making it so they actually can influence people? I guess that would be something.

All I know is that if I was in charge I'd have people be way more interested make one of them anime girls and people would be talkin' about 'em way more js...

 

[knowyouareloved]

Does Meta think that the same userbase who falls for AI shrimp-Jesus pictures will understand these aren't real people? There are plenty of people for whom the difference between DVDs and Blurays is confusing, scanning a document with a phone is tricky, and even knowing how to check email is not a given. Unleashing this upon Facebook's userbase is irresponsible. The relative unobtrusiveness of the disclaimers that these are AI makes me unable to believe this is an innocent mistake. Maybe Meta sees all the AI bot accounts farming engagement and figured they'd try it themselves? That said, since these accounts have to remain sanitized, safe, and corporate, I doubt people will find them engaging.

 

[Hobo8240]

This isn't really much of a big deal I'm pretty sure facebook is used entirely by senile boomers at this point idk never touched the site

 

[jojo]

 

[consonant]

Does Meta think that the same userbase who falls for AI shrimp-Jesus pictures will understand these aren't real people? There are plenty of people for whom the difference between DVDs and Blurays is confusing, scanning a document with a phone is tricky, and even knowing how to check email is not a given. Unleashing this upon Facebook's userbase is irresponsible. The relative unobtrusiveness of the disclaimers that these are AI makes me unable to believe this is an innocent mistake. Maybe Meta sees all the AI bot accounts farming engagement and figured they'd try it themselves? That said, since these accounts have to remain sanitized, safe, and corporate, I doubt people will find them engaging.

This is probably the intent of it actually, I forgot about the types of people who are usually on Facebook. Because of them these profiles could just be used for actual propaganda which is scary to think about but not out of character for the company I guess.

 

[Zaku]

Facebook? More like Fakebook, amirite?

There are just so many layers of grimness and bullshit to this news that I'm not even sure what I'm supposed to say anymore. We have entered the realm of fake corporations making funny money with pseudo business generated by bullshit numbers through unreal users.

I suppose that one could argue that if you read a coherent sentence stringed together, you can easily rule it's AI and not the Facebook userbase. Unless the AI gets smart enough to become retarded. Bots - they're just like us!

 

[Punp]

I felt like the users would eventually be replaced by more profitable simulacra for a while now, but I didn't expect it would happen this soon. This marks another step of the elitist rich trying to remove themselves from the binds of the plebs. As soon as they solve farming, garbage collection and service roles they're going to start pumping gas into Lidl.

 

[soma]

It looks to me like this is just another way to increase user engagement. Most people don't tend to post much on social media but data can still be collected (so money can be made) by observing the way that people engage with such content. So naturally, using bots to reduce the reliance on human posters could be a good move financially, considering that it is easier for people to consume content rather than create. The things that the bots post don't really need to be interesting, they just need to be stimulating enough to keep people's attention. In the long term I think that this is just going to accelerate the trend of technology turning people into a herd of passive consumers rather than allowing them to become creative individuals.

 

[punisheddead]

I don't get what the point of this is. One theory I have is that facebook pretty much reached maximum growth so instead of trying to get new people to join their making their own users in their own digital Potemkin village. Twitter already does this under the table so I guess the meta (heh) now is to just blatantly do it. It could also be the case of getting the "creators" out of the picture. You can't just flood your social media with company sponsored AI content without packaging it in a pretty little profile.

If a social media was exposed for faking users it would be an outrage, but have it be AI and suddenly it's all good. The comments under the AI's posts being all bot tier gibberish is almost poetic, what's to stop them from lying about how many people are using it?

 

[HammerKoopa]

I am not sure if META has a partner system similar to youtube where creators get paid, however if that is the case having corporate AI accounts that make it big will be profitable situation for them, suddenly the monthly paycheck for a creator just becomes a percentage of the power bill and server upkeep alongside your other army of robot accounts. It being implemented on facebook makes sense to try out more than instagram, AI influencers that appealed to the youth were a failure, so this would be trying the same but for the boomer market that doesnt have the eye to spot AI or bots on the fly like most of us do. However so, if META doesnt have a partner system, if it goes well, they could hypothetically get sponsor deals that creators usually get to shill the latest squarehelp: VPN legends, with that on top of the before mentioned more direct data farming it looks to me to be an attempt in the direction of squeezing as much money and engagement without the need to have people create content for the site, turn your userbase into cows for your factory farm.

 

[punisheddead]

I am not sure if META has a partner system similar to youtube where creators get paid

They do have it, but the last time I checked it was only relegated to video content.

 

[Endbringer fan xoxo]

Wouldn't this basically signal advertisers to not advertise on Facebook and Instagram.

 

[SolidStateSurvivor]

Just some meaningless shit to impress shareholders or covertly advertise their ability to be an astro turfing provider. We already know that some combination of these websites, glowies, and corps have been doing this for years without owning up to it.

 

[Z0diacK]

Glad I'm not using it, I have no clue what demographic this is made for. I don't really have an opinion on it either, we'll see what will come out of this, probably nothing. Still really odd and very 'dystopian' to look at

 

[consonant]

For everyone else you can have this warehouse of AI posters who will spread any ideology you want, like Christmas cheer

I want to add that I am thrilled to see my present being used

 

[RisingThumb]

They are already showing up. They're at the doors. Drums in the deep...

The Internet's about to be full of Orcs.

 

[Endbringer fan xoxo]

They are already showing up. They're at the doors. Drums in the deep...
View attachment 128774
The Internet's about to be full of Orcs.

The only mildly positive thing that I see in this picture is that it mentions that it is in fact an AI. At least they will be not hidden.


Also, now that I think about it. Facebook and Instagram will basically become another Character.ai site with the option to also chat with real people.

 

[Average Romanian Dude]

I, for one, look forward to the day when AI corporations provide services to other AI corporations in order to be used by AI generated users in a neverending loop of fake money and fake value