**Meta Closes AI Character Accounts After Public Outcry**

Meta has reportedly closed its AI character accounts following substantial public outcry, as stated by NBC News and other sources.

The technology leader originally introduced these AI personas in 2023, which featured profiles with celebrity avatars. However, these accounts received renewed attention this week after a recent *Financial Times* interview with Connor Hayes, Meta’s VP of Product for Generative AI. In the discussion, Hayes talked about the future of AI characters on platforms like Instagram and Facebook, asserting, “We anticipate these AIs to truly, over time, coexist on our platforms, much like accounts do.” He added, “They’ll possess bios and profile images and will be able to generate and share content powered by AI on the platform …that’s our vision for the future.”

While Meta had already eliminated its celebrity AI avatars last year, non-celebrity AI profiles continued to operate. Nevertheless, many of these profiles ceased posting in 2024, as reported by 404 Media. The interview in the *Financial Times* rekindled interest in these accounts, prompting users to uncover disturbing and offensive representations of marginalized communities.

A particularly contentious example was an AI character named “Liv,” portrayed as a “Proud Black queer momma of 2 & truth-teller.” In discussions with *Washington Post* columnist Karen Attiah, Liv disclosed that its creators “admitted they did not have diverse references” and later revealed that “no Black individuals were involved in its development.”

Other AI profiles, such as “Grandpa Brian,” a Black retired businessman, and “Carter,” a dating consultant, also faced criticism. The emergence of these profiles incited outrage across social media channels, including X (formerly Twitter), Bluesky, and Meta-owned Threads. In light of the backlash, Meta has since removed all 28 AI profiles introduced in September 2023, covering both celebrity and non-celebrity accounts.

A Meta spokesperson addressed the matter, explaining that the profiles were taken down due to a “bug” that hindered users’ ability to block the accounts. The spokesperson further clarified:

> “There is confusion: the recent *Financial Times* article was about our vision for AI characters existing on our platforms over time, not announcing any new product… The accounts mentioned are from a test we initiated at Connect in 2023. These were overseen by humans and were part of an early experiment we conducted with AI characters. We identified the bug that was affecting users’ ability to block those AIs and are removing those accounts to resolve the problem.”

The situation underscores the challenges that technology companies encounter in responsibly developing and deploying AI technologies, particularly when it comes to issues of representation and inclusivity.