--- title: "Facebook’s AI-Powered Jane Austen Is Already Overrun by Spam" description: "A quick perusal of the Facebook and Instagram feeds of Meta's latest AI chatbots doesn't exactly have us inspired about the future of AI." date: "2023-10-16" modified: "2023-10-16" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" - name: "Jon Christian" job_title: "Executive Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/jonc" url: "https://futurism.com/facebook-jane-austen-spam" categories: - "Artificial Intelligence" tags: - "artificial intelligence" - "facebook" - "instagram" - "Meta" --- # Facebook’s AI-Powered Jane Austen Is Already Overrun by Spam ![]() *\Image: Meta\* They say never meet your heroes. But what if those heroes came in the shape of an AI chatbot designed to emulate a celebrity or literary great? Last month, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg [announced]() that the company was bringing 28 AI chatbots to its platform, allowing its users to have one-on-one conversations with a seemingly random array of celebrities. As of right now, most of these AIs are still in limited beta, but a quick perusal of their [Facebook and Instagram feeds]() doesn't exactly have us optimistic about the project. Along with AIs [based on the likes]() of Tom Brady, Kendall Jenner, or James "MrBeast" Donaldson, Meta has also given new life to one of the most famed English novelists: Jane Austen. The [social profile]() of Zombie Austen is eyebrow-raising. Her profile picture, for instance, depicts an influencer-looking woman wearing a smirk and a fuzzy headband over blonde hair, even though the [real Austen was brunette](). And that only foreshadows the account's vapid posts, which range from AI-generated pictures of [dusty libraries]() to [uninspiring book stacks](). ![]() In short, it's an exceptionally unimaginative and ahistorical rendition of one the most acclaimed novelists in the English language. Adding insult to injury, Zombie Austen's limited engagement is comprised of befuddled Facebook users who don't seem to understand that she's AI-generated and outright spam that the company's filters seem helpless to catch. ![]() It's not just Zombie Austen, by the way. Here's spam on "Billie," the company's bot based on Kendall Jenner: ![]() And here's "Tamika," the company's riff on tennis star Naomi Osaka: ![]() Put simply, Meta appears to have been so preoccupied with getting the celebrity AIs online that it's immediately letting spam proliferate on their profiles — the perfect illustration of tech companies diving headfirst into AI without doing basic legwork. That's not the only social media crime on display, by the way. Just look at these down-bad simps replying to "Amber," the company's bot based on Paris Hilton: ![]() Our main takeaway, though? None of these profiles are attracting *any* serious engagement. Even MrBeast, one of the most popular YouTube stars out there, isn't drawing huge numbers. His AI doppelganger "Zach," which allegedly exists to "generate real humor based on my artificial pain," has a pitiful [3,475 followers]() on Instagram. Even the images posted by the celeb knockoffs leave plenty to be desired, from [awkwardly cut-off microphones]() to [wonky, misshapen barbells](). It all leaves a huge question: why? Are we really that desperate to schmooze with the watered-down shadows of public figures, who have nothing more to add than [questionable pictures of broccoli]() or [corny writing prompts]()? What can we learn from them that we can't learn from, say, another human being? Or from reading the actual "Pride and Prejudice," for heaven's sake? By definition, generative AI produces derivative work. Meta's seemingly given up on human creativity and is instead leaning on the name recognition of its famous collaborators — a glimpse of a future that would presumably have the real Jane Austen spinning in her grave. **More on these AI celebs:** *[Facebook Is Paying Celebrities Millions to Turn Them Into Chatbots]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()