According to a recent report by the Financial Times, Meta plans to expand the use of AI-generated “characters” within its platforms. These characters come complete with bios, profile pictures, backstories, and the ability to engage with real users.
Last year, Instagram introduced a unique character, “Grandpa Brian,” a retired textile entrepreneur brought to life as a black AI-generated avatar. Another fake Meta profile named ‘Liv’ claims to be a proud Black queer momma of 2. The Liv account is filled with AI-generated photos of her fake children, accompanied by captions about “raising strong girls”.
These particular characters received some backlash and were removed. But Meta plans to introduce more Avatars to increase engagement with users.
Another reason that Meta will use AI Avatars is to engage users in conversations to collect their data. Imagine asking Grandpa Brian for career advice and, in that conversation, you talk about your location, education, and finances. Certainly, that information would be of interest to academic institutions, who can then target you with advertising.
🪝 Liv’s posts about fake kids and Grandpa Brian’s advice may seem genuine, but they’re bait to get your data. Will you take the bait?