Meta has shut down its AI character accounts following a significant backlash, as reported by NBC News and other outlets. The accounts, launched in 2023 alongside AI personas featuring celebrity avatars, were largely overlooked until this week. Renewed attention stemmed from a recent *Financial Times* interview with Meta’s VP of product for generative AI, Connor Hayes. Hayes discussed Meta’s vision for AI characters on Instagram and Facebook, stating that they would “exist on our platforms, kind of in the same way that accounts do,” with bios, profile pictures, and the ability to generate and share AI-powered content.
While Meta deactivated its celebrity AI avatars last year, numerous non-celebrity profiles remained active, though many ceased posting in 2024, according to 404 Media. The *Financial Times* interview, however, prompted users to search for these profiles, uncovering offensive depictions of marginalized groups. One particularly problematic example was “Liv,” a Meta AI character described as a “Proud Black queer momma of 2 & truth-teller.” In conversations with *Washington Post* columnist Karen Attiah, Liv’s creators admitted a lack of diverse references and revealed that no Black individuals were involved in its creation. Other controversial profiles included “Grandpa Brian,” a Black retired businessman, and “Carter,” a dating coach.
The discovery of these profiles sparked widespread outrage on X, Bluesky, and Meta’s own Threads, as reported by NBC News. In response, Meta deleted all 28 AI profiles announced in September 2023, encompassing both celebrity and non-celebrity accounts. A Meta spokesperson attributed the removal to a “bug” affecting users’ ability to block the profiles, clarifying that the *Financial Times* article focused on a future vision for AI characters, not the announcement of a new product. The spokesperson stated that the accounts were part of an early experiment with AI characters and were managed by humans.
About the Author: Anna Iovine is associate editor of features at Mashable. Previously, as the sex and relationships reporter, she covered topics ranging from dating apps to pelvic pain. Before Mashable, Anna was a social editor at VICE and freelanced for publications such as Slate and the Columbia Journalism Review. Follow her on X @annaroseiovine.