The conspiratorial "dead internet theory"—that most online activity is just a haze of self-perpetuating algorithmic noise—is not true, yet, but it sure seems like some people really want to get us there as quickly as possible.
As reported by 404 Media, Facebook and Instagram parent company Meta has hastily deleted a swathe of experimental AI character accounts that were uncovered after a Meta executive indicated such content was «where we see all of this going.» Speaking to the Financial Times on December 27, Meta executive Connor Hayes stated, «We expect these AIs to actually, over time, exist on our platforms kind of in the same way that accounts do.» Hayes further added, «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.» If that sounds absolutely abysmal to you, you're not alone: Hayes' comments drew ridicule and anger given the already dire state of AI-generated «slop» on Instagram and (especially) Facebook.
More fuel was added to the backlash as users on Twitter and Bluesky began uncovering and sharing older AI-generated profiles from a 2023 test by Meta—for what it's worth, these characters were not part of some new rollout in tandem with the Financial Times story.
But boy, if this earlier effort is any indication, the future of AI profiles on Facebook and Instagram is bleak. The 11 characters catalogued by 404 Media are united by that characteristic AI-gen uncanny blandness in their text posts and surreal horror in their images.
The one that's understandably caught the most flack was «Liv,» a «proud Black queer momma of 2 & truth-teller» whose posts showed off no less than 8 unsettling AI children with messed up hands and Black Lodge ghost faces.