Skip to main content
Tech

Meta AI debuts across platforms raising privacy, bias concerns

Media Landscape

See who else is reporting on this story and which side of the political spectrum they lean. To read other sources, click on the plus signs below. Learn more about this data
Left 18% Center 68% Right 14%
Bias Distribution Powered by Ground News

After months of anticipation, Meta launched the company’s AI chatbot, Meta AI, on Thursday, April 18. Meta AI integrates advanced AI technology across everyday applications such as Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, WhatsApp and Ray-Ban smart glasses. The rollout is sparking concerns about the technology’s controversial impact on digital interactions.

QR code for SAN app download

Download the SAN app today to stay up-to-date with Unbiased. Straight Facts™.

Point phone camera here

Like its generative AI competitors, Meta AI can create images, craft captions and even act as a moderator in group chats, addressing questions when needed.

Anika Navaroli, a senior fellow at Columbia’s Tow Center for Digital Journalism, cautioned that AI tools may perpetuate cycles of misinformation and bias on social platforms, exacerbating societal divisions. She described these biases as creating a “feedback loop to hell,” which intensifies hate speech and harmful content. The feedback loops make biases increasingly difficult to manage or eliminate.

AI-powered chatbots are also known to “hallucinate,” providing false or irrelevant answers not based on reality.

The company integrated Meta AI into almost all of the company’s platforms without an option to disable it. When users inquire about how to remove it, the chatbot provides instructions, but they are misleading and not based on accurate information.

Meta AI has been integrated into almost all of the company’s platforms without an option to disable it. When users inquire about how to remove it, the chatbot provides instructions, but these are misleading and not based on accurate information.
Straight Arrow News

Users can avoid using Meta AI by ignoring its suggestions and prompts, but it will remain a prominent feature on the platform.

Tags: , , , , , , ,

[MARK ZUCKERBERG]

“Our goal is to build the worlds lead AI and make it available to everyone.”

[LAUREN TAYLOR]

AFTER MONTHS OF ANTICIPATION, META CEO FINALLY LAUNCHED IT’S AI CHATBOT. THE  ROLLOUT BRINGS META’S MOST ADVANCED AI TO EVERYDAY APPS IT’S SUITE OF APPS LIKE FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, MESSENGER, WHATSAPP, AND EVEN RAY-BAN SMART GLASSES, — BUT, IT’S RAISING QUESTIONS ABOUT THE TECHNOLOGY’S CONTROVERSIAL IMPLICATIONS FOR DIGITAL INTERACTIONS.

LIKE ITS GENERATIVE AI COMPETITORS,  META AI  CAN GENERATE IMAGES, CRAFT CAPTIONS AND EVEN PARTICIPATE AS A MODERATOR IN GROUP CHATS, ANSWERING QUESTIONS AS NEEDED.

HOWEVER — ANIKA NAVAROLI — A SENIOR FELLOW AT COLUMBIA’S TOW CENTER FOR DIGITAL JOURNALISM, EXPLAINS THAT AI TOOLS CAN PERPETUATE HARMFUL CYCLES OF MISINFORMATION AND BIAS ACROSS SOCIAL PLATFORMS, DEEPENING SOCIETAL DIVIDES.

SHE WARNS, THESE BIASES, ONCE REINFORCED IN SOCIAL FEEDS, CREATE A SELF-SUSTAINING “FEEDBACK LOOP TO HELL,” INTENSIFYING HATE SPEECH AND HARMFUL CONTENT, WHICH CAN BECOME INCREASINGLY DIFFICULT TO MANAGE OR ELIMINATE.

AI-POWERED CHATBOTS CAN ALSO “HALLUCINATE” — PRODUCING FALSE OR IRRELEVANT ANSWERS THAT HAVE NO FACTUAL BASIS.

META AI IS INTEGRATED ACROSS ALMOST ALL OF THE COMPANY’S PLATFORMS WITHOUT AN OPTION TO DISABLE IT — WHEN ASKING THE CHATBOT HOW TO REMOVE IT— IT PROVIDES CLEAR INSTRUCTIONS, BUT THEY ARE MISLEADING AND NOT BASED ON ACCURATE INFORMATION.

USERS CAN AVOID INTERACTING WITH META AI BY IGNORING ITS SUGGESTIONS AND PROMPTS, BUT IT WILL REMAIN A PROMINENT FEATURE IN THE APPS.