- Meta AI has sparked mixed reactions on social media apps such as Instagram and Facebook.
- Some users have become frustrated after accidentally interacting with bots.
- No matter what Meta AI says, you can’t opt out.
Meta AI is supposed to use the trained data to help you do whatever you do on apps like Instagram and Facebook more efficiently.
Yet, despite this vast knowledge, one thing remains difficult for us to understand: our own death.
Meta introduced AI to its app in April, which appears near the search bar and offers tips to discover new trends and ideas.
The presence of the feature near the classic search bar seems to be a way for Meta to try to force its way into user experience with the feature, with some users taking to social media to complain about accidentally using it and asking how to remove it.
after a while After failing to find it on Google, I turned to the bot directly. Meta AI tried to be helpful, but provided inaccurate information and suggested users could disable it, which they can’t actually do.
The bot suggested clicking on the non-existent “three dots in the top right corner of the chat window” and turning off the “Meta AI Assistant” button, which also seems to not exist.
We went back and forth with Meta AI for a while, and after we rephrased the question, the bot finally told us that disabling it wasn’t actually an option.
“Unfortunately, I’m part of the search bar, so you can’t turn it off completely. But you can minimize our interaction by using the search bar as you normally would, without speaking to me directly or using the ‘@’ symbol. This way you can search the web without triggering our conversation,” the bot said.
After some pestering on our part, Meta AI said we could turn off the AI features for the whole device (iPhone in this case), but what if we wanted to use some of the AI features but not Meta’s?
As big tech companies like Meta, Google, OpenAI, Microsoft, and Apple find themselves caught in a fierce AI arms race, competing to create the best products that customers can actually trust and use, they face roadblocks, delays, and troubling prospects for themselves from regulators.
When we asked Meta AI what sets it apart from other AI bots, the company was quick to share a list of reasons why, including its “omnichannel presence” and “massive knowledge base.”
“Meta AI is integrated across multiple platforms (Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, etc.) making it easily accessible and useful,” it said, adding that the bot is “trained on a vast dataset so it can provide accurate and informative responses.”
If that’s the case.
A Meta spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment for this article, but previously told Business Insider that its bots sometimes produce “inaccurate or inappropriate output.”
During our chat, Meta AI touted its “human-like conversation” as a differentiator from competitors.
“Meta AI aims to enable natural conversation and make interactions feel like you’re talking to a friend,” the bot said.
That’s wonderful, because who doesn’t love a friend they can’t leave?
If you are a Meta employee with more information about Meta AI, please contact kbalevic@businessinsider.com. Signals will be provided upon request.
