Social media platforms face numerous challenges, including fake news, hate speech, and flawed algorithms. However, one issue looms so large it could signal the end of these platforms: the rise of AI accounts. Meta, X, and TikTok are even accelerating their own demise with their strategies.
Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, views generative AI as a significant opportunity. Since late 2023, Meta has been testing 28 different AI characters on its platforms. These AI accounts post content and chat with users, and are nearly indistinguishable from real users except for a small disclaimer.
These AI accounts raise ethical concerns and undermine the core purpose of social media: connecting people. When AI accounts populate these digital spaces, it becomes challenging to discern who is human and who is not, fostering skepticism among users. This skepticism is compounded by the presence of unofficial AI accounts.
Spam has been a part of the internet since its inception, and social networks are no exception. Fake accounts, boosted likes, phishing messages, and dubious offers have become commonplace. AI amplifies these issues, making spam smarter and more convincing. Experts warned in 2023 that AI would transform spam messages, with fake accounts becoming easier to automate and messages appearing more genuine. ChatGPT is already being used to spread fake news on platforms like X.
The trend is clear: AI accounts and AI-generated content will increasingly dominate social networks. Authentic human interaction and genuine connections will become scarce on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and X.
This shift is reflected in user engagement. According to a global survey by Statista and Kepios, daily social media usage has decreased for the first time since measurements began. In 2023, people spent 151 minutes per day on social media, but this dropped to 143 minutes in 2024, nearing 2018 levels.
Some individuals even consider the internet as “dead,” subscribing to the Dead-Internet Theory, which posits that the internet is primarily driven by bot activity and automatically generated content. While this is a conspiracy theory, it highlights growing distrust towards social media accounts. As skepticism increases, social networks risk losing their value and could become unusable due to AI.