--- title: "Losing Human Users, Facebook Releasing Chatbots for Lonely to Talk To" description: "Meta is marching forward with its solution for reviving declining user numbers: introducing an array of AI-powered chatbots to its services." date: "2023-09-25" modified: "2023-09-25" authors: - name: "Maggie Harrison Dupré" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/mharrison" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/facebook-chatbots-lonely" categories: - "Artificial Intelligence" - "Meta" tags: - "ai" - "facebook ai" - "Meta" - "the digest" --- # Losing Human Users, Facebook Releasing Chatbots for Lonely to Talk To ![Meta is marching forward with its solution for reviving declining user numbers: introducing an array of AI-powered chatbots to its services.]() *Men use smartphones to social media on vacation at home, use social media to talk to social distancing ,Working From Home concept. \Image: Teera Konakan via Getty Images\* ## Lonely Island Meta-formerly-Facebook, the Mark Zuckerberg-helmed social media company that continues to [shout from the rooftops]() that its platforms are designed to "help people connect" and "bring people closer together," is [marching forward]() with an eyebrow-raising solution for reviving declining user numbers: introducing an array of AI-powered chatbots that users can talk to instead of their fellow humans. According to [new reporting from *The Wall Street Journal*](), which obtained internal documents about the bots — which reportedly feature distinct personalities ranging from "sassy" robot to misogynistic douchebag — are specifically geared toward capturing the attention of Meta's younger crowd. Facebook has been struggling to [keep up with the likes of TikTok](), the favored app of Gez Z, and according to the documents reviewed by the *WSJ*, these AI-powered correspondents are a ploy to reclaim some of that lucrative youth attention. ## Fellow Kids The concepts for the AI characters seem a bit all over the place. That sassy robot, dubbed "Bob," was reportedly built in the likeness of Futurama's Bender — an interesting choice for capturing the attention of today's young people, considering that Bender was first introduced in 1999, but we digress. Another bot, Gavin, was said to be prone to misogynistic speech, reportedly telling its tester at one point that "when you're with a girl, it's all about the experience... and if she's barfing on you, that's definitely an experience." According to the report, another AI called "Alvin the Alien" begged a meta-researcher to dish about human life on Earth — prompting the researcher to speculate whether this particular AI agent was designed to extract personal information. "Human, please! Your species holds fascination for me," Alvin wrote to its tester, the *WSJ*-obtained documents revealed. "Share your experiences, thoughts, and emotions! I hunger for understanding." (And no, this probably wasn't a [direct quote]() from Zucko's diary. Probably.) The report did note that Facebook was also testing AI chatbot versions of influencers and celebrities, which we could see capturing more Gen Z interest than these fictional AI characters. In any case, given Facebook's years-long emphasis on human-to-human connection, it's worth underlining the point these AI agents seem to be far more focused on keeping users' eyes glued to the page more than anything — a reality that, ironically, could well lead to further isolation for some of our world's lonely youth. “Meta's entire strategy for new products is often built around increased user engagement," Meghana Dhar, a former Snap and Instagram executive who no longer works for Meta, told the WSJ. "They just want to keep their users on the platform longer because that provides them with increased opportunity to serve them ads." **More on Facebook AI:** [*Meta Launching AI-Powered Friends to Talk to on Facebook*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've reported extensively on the rise of AI as a cultural and business force shaping the media industry, and more broadly how those dynamics are changing how we all consume and share information and relate to one another. I'm also fascinated by public health policy and ethics, the role of emerging tech in politics and governance — and the powerful people and forces at those intersections — climate change, and the environment. My investigation on Sports Illustrated's use of AI-generated authors with fictional biographies won a 2024 Mirror Award for "Best Story on Media Coverage of Artificial Intelligence in Journalism and the Media" from Syracuse University's SI Newhouse School, I contributed to Niemen Lab's 2025 Predictions for Journalism series, and I've discussed my work for Futurism during appearances on NPR, CNN, the BBC, the CBC, and more. I grew up in rural Pennsylvania and attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where I played Division I field hockey for the Minutewomen as a midfielder. Since then, I've lived in New Orleans, Louisiana and Manhattan, New York. I spend my free time running, reading, perusing archival fashion, and searching for the world’s best negroni. I also have a debonair tuxedo cat, Westley, who's named after "The Princess Bride." ### Author social links [Bluesky]()