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It feels like we’re only a couple of years removed from bots and fake accounts on social media being viewed as negatives. Now that the industry can file them under the umbrella of artificial intelligence, we’re not only expected to accept them but interact with them as if they are real.

That’s at least the approach that Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, is taking heading into the new year and it’s proudly admitting it.

Meta’s future plan is to fill Instagram and Facebook with AI characters complete with realistic profile photos and bios, hoping to drive engagement with real humans on the platforms. It will also be rolling out new AI products that allow users to create their own AI characters that will populate the social media sites as well.

The sole purpose of the endeavor, other than increasing user count, is to make the social media apps “more entertaining and engaging” for the real humans already on them. 

Coming soon from Zuck: Bots on Facebook & Instagram who will interact with you. BERTRAND GUAY / AFP

That isn’t an opinion, either; it’s exactly what Connor Hayes, Meta’s VP of product for generative artificial intelligence, recently told the Financial Times.

“We expect these AIs to actually, over time, exist on our platforms, kind of in the same way accounts do,” Hayes explained. “They’ll have bios and profile pictures and be able to generate and share content powered by AI on the platform… that’s where we see all of this going.”

READ: AI ‘Friend’ Necklace Could Eliminate The Need To Make Human Friends

While the world of artificial intelligence may be a difficult one to even begin to comprehend, Meta’s approach certainly isn’t. The company doesn’t believe interactions between actual humans are entertaining or engaging enough, so it’s rolling out AI users across its apps and even allowing people to create their own AI characters.

Meta is allowing people, many of which are grown adults, to turn imaginary friends into ‘real’ ones. 

These are the same people who will scream about the mental health issues they claim are plaguing mankind, yet they’re creating tools for you to create your own online society.

We’re all already completely addicted to social media, but addiction can take on a new life, and AI appears to be the gateway to it.