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Meta has nuked a bunch of its AI-generated profiles from Facebook Instagram, the company confirmed, after the AI characters prompted widespread outrage and ridicule from users on social media. The AI-generated profiles, which were labeled as AI managed by Meta, launched in September of 2023, rolling out alongside the companys celebrity-branded AI chatbots (also discontinued). Meta doesnt seem to have updated any of these profiles for several months, and the pages seem to have been largely unnoticed until this week, following an interview published by the Financial Times with Metas VP of Generative AI, Connor Hayes. In the interview, Hayes spoke about the companys goal to eventually fill its services with AI-generated profiles that can interact with people and function kind of in the same way that accounts do. Those comments brought attention to the extant fMeta-created AI profiles and, well, users were not exactly impressed with what they found. With handles like hellograndpabrian, a supposed retired textile businessman who is always learning and datingwithCarter, an AI dating coach, the chatbots were meant to showcase unique interests and personalities for users to chat with. On Instagram, their profiles also featured AI-generated posts that, as 404 Media noted, looked a lot like the AI spam thats become prevalent in many corners of Facebook. Meta An AI persona called Liv sparked particular outrage. The Instagram profile identified Liv as a proud Black queer momma of 2 & truth-teller. Washington Post columnist Karen Attiah posted a series of screenshots in which she interrogated Liv about how Meta trained the AI, with Liv sharing that it was created by a predominantly white team. Independent journalist Mady Castigan posted another conversation in which Liv said that its creators had been inspired in part by Sophia Vergaras character from Modern Family, a character that is neither queer nor Black. 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, a spokesperson told Engadget. The accounts referenced are from a test we launched at Connect in 2023. These were managed by humans and were part of an early experiment we did with AI characters." Beyond sparking ridicule for their responses and attempts to appropriate marginalized identities, users found the AI profiles were impossible to block, for reasons unknown. Rather than fix the issue, Meta's solution was to kill the experiment entirely. "We identified the bug that was impacting the ability for people to block those AIs," a spokesperson said, "and are removing those accounts to fix the issue. While this trial run has gone up in flames, the company doesnt seem to be abandoning its plans to bring more AI-generated characters to its apps. Earlier this year, the company teased AI clones of human creators capable of holding lifelike video calls. Creators can already train their own chatbots to respond to followers on their behalf. Meta also began experimenting with inserting its own AI-generated imagery into users Facebook feeds. In an interview last year, Hayes told me that Meta likely will become more proactive about surfacing AI-generated content over time, comparing it to the shift from showing recommended content instead of posts from people you follow. In the beginning of social apps the corpus of stuff that you could see on a given day was sort of constrained by who you followed or were friends with. And over the last like, five or six years, a lot of apps ourselves included have moved to, you know, relax that constraint and start recommending content from accounts you don't follow. I think probably the next leap that's going to happen there is relaxing the constraint of what humans can create, and actually getting to feeds of content that are a combination of things that, you know, humans have created, but also that are entirely machine generated. It may still be awhile before Meta fully realizes that vision. But if the reaction to its early experimentations is any indication, the company still has a lot of work to do to convince people AI personas are worth interacting with in the first place.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/meta-sends-its-ai-generated-profiles-to-hell-where-they-belong-204758789.html?src=rss
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Marketing and Advertising
The first few days of the year are typically sleepy for deals and 2025 is proving no different. Since most Black Friday sale prices have expired, big ticket items are back to full price, but we found a few new discounts on smaller tech and accessories from brands we recommend, like Anker, Sony, Amazon Echo and JBL. You can get an Anker charging station for 40 percent off and pick up the Apple Watch Series 10 for $329, a return to its all-time low. An Amazon Echo display is also selling for close to a record low. Here are the best tech deals from this week that you can still get today. 8Bitdo 8Bitdo Ultimate Wired Controller (Xbox) for $30 ($15 off): Here's a record low price for a licensed Xbox controller from a brand we recommend in a few of our best of lists. Its compatible with the Xbox Series X, Series S, Xbox One and Windows 10 and above, so it can work with either a console or PC. It has hall effect joysticks and impulse triggers, a 3.5mm audio jack on the back, and two extra buttons that arent included with the official controller, which could be useful for mapping with PC games. Anker 9-in-1 Charging Station for $36 ($24 off): This small tower has been a boon for my messy and small work area, letting me charge and power the various phones, batteries, tablets and other electronics that are a necessary part of a tech-heavy work life. It's got four USB-C ports, two USB-A and two AC outlets, plus the wall adapter is nice and slim. I just wish I had bought mine on sale. Apple Watch Series 10 (GPS 4mm case) for $329 ($70 off): This is a return to the Black Friday pricing we saw in November and represents the biggest discount we've seen yet on Apple's latest flagship wearable. We gave it good marks in our review and named it the best Apple Watch and the best smartwatch overall currently on the market. Of course, it's only for iPhone users, but if you're an Apple fan, it can be pretty dang useful. Also at Best Buy. Photo by Amy Skorheim / Engadget Ugreen Revodok Pro 109 USB-C hub for $39 ($16 off with Prime): Prime members can save 30 percent off the 9-in-1 dock we named the best of the bunch after testing for our USB-C hub guide. It lets you connect two 4K monitors and has a good array of other ports plus the longer 10-inch cable gives you more options for where to put it on your desk. Roku Streaming Stick 4K for $29 ($21 off): If your TV feels a little slow as it streams its built-in apps, this is one of the cheapest ways to help. The $29 price tag is one we've seen often these past few months, and it's about $4 more than its all-time low, but it does match the largest discount we've seen this past year. The discount was previously available from multiple retailers, but it appears Amazon is the only site sticking with the discount. Sony WH-1000XM4 ANC headphones for $198 ($150 off): This deal is so old, it's got whiskers on it, but still worth mentioning for anyone looking for a quality set of headphones. Sony's XM4s were the top pick in our guide to wireless headphones until the latest generation (the XM5s, currently $300) knocked them off their throne. They're four years old at this point, but if that's not an issue, it's a good way to save on a premium set of cans. Logitech Pebble Mouse 2 M350s for $20 ($10 off): A newer model of one of our favorite productivity mice is on sale for a third off. It's got more recycled plastic this time and the middle button is customizable. All three colors look to be on sale (pink, black and white). Also at Amazon. Billy Steele for Engadget Beats Pill bluetooth speaker for $100 ($50 off): This is the same price we saw for Black Friday on the Beats' return to the Bluetooth speaker market. The completely redesigned Pill earned a spot on our Bluetooth speaker guide and an 83 in our review. It offers much improved sound quality with impressive bass and full mids. You also get a long, 24-hour battery life and lossless audio over USB-C. Also at Best Buy. Zagg screen protectors for 20 percent off: If you got a new phone or smartwatch for the holidays, you may want to slap a screen protector on it to avoid cracks and chips. Right now through January 4, Target is selling a range of the Zagg accessories for 20 percent off. JBL Xtreme 4 for $300 ($80 off): The latest generation of our recommended JBL Xtreme is back to it's Cyber Week price (we put the Xtreme 3 on our guide to the best BT speakers). This one adds around nine hours of battery life for a total of 24 hours plus the replaceable battery can be swapped out. Its also made from more recycled materials and throws in some AI-powered tuning. Also at Amazon. The previous generation model is $200. Photo by Amy Skorheim / Engadget Nimble Champ Pro portable charger for $80 ($20 off): Ive tested nearly 50 batteries for our power bank guide and this is the one I take with me when I travel. Its compact but packs a high, 20,000mah capacity that can refill a large smartphone nearly three times and quickly. Itll even juice up an iPad just under two times. The fact that the company is a certified B Corp doesn't hurt. Amazon Echo Show 8 for $85 ($65 off): You can grab Amazon's 8-inch smart display for $85, down from its usual $150. The Echo Show can display the weather, videos, show your connected doorbell feeds and do all the things Alexa is good for like adding butter to your Trader Joe's shopping list and controlling your smart home devices. Leebein Electric Spin Scrubber for $40 ($20 off with Prime): This spin scrubber made a huge difference in one of our editors' batroom cleaning routine as detailed in our year-end tech-we-bought roundup. It's 33 percent off for Prime members at the moment, which is about $9 more than its all-time low. Amazon Amazon Echo Show 5 for $45 ($45 off): You can also pick up the smaller Echo Show for half price. It went for $10 less back in 2023, but this is the lowest price we've tracked since then. The Echo Show 5 has a smaller screen (smaller than most smartphones) so it's better for compact spaces like bedside tables or cozy kitchens. Anker Docking Station 575 for $140 ($30 off): We tested the Anker's 575 for our guide to docking stations, but it wasn't one of our top picks as it had trouble supporting a MacBook Pro. It did great with a Dell PC, however, so if you're not an Apple user, this could be a good way to get more utility out of your laptop. Anker Nano 65W USB C Charger for $30 ($26 off): If you need a fast charger, you can hardly do better than one from Anker. This Nano charger has three USB ports, one Type A and two Type C. Its max output of 65 watts should quickly charge phones, tablets and even laptops at their max speeds. Anker Soundcore 2 Portable Bluetooth Speaker for $28 ($12 off): Ankers doesn't just make accessories, the Soundcore brand has impressed us both with its earbuds and Bluetooth speakers. The Soundcore 2 is one of the smaller and more affordable models and its currently back to the low it hit for Cyber week. Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/8bitdos-wired-xbox-controller-is-just-30-plus-the-rest-of-this-weeks-best-tech-deals-175952340.html?src=rss
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Marketing and Advertising
SAM YEH via Getty Images It's hard to find a company that had a better 2024 than NVIDIA. Even after some choppiness in recent weeks, the chip giant's stock price finished last year up 178 percent, and its market cap of more than $3.3 trillion dollars with a T is currently second only to Apple. That's thanks to the fact that the ongoing AI revolution is powered largely by NVIDIA processors, which is raking in billions on its hardware even as its customers stay firmly in the red. So what does founder and CEO Jensen Huang do for an encore? It's a great question, but we won't have to wait long for an answer. Huang is kicking off CES 2025 in Las Vegas with the first keynote address. He'll be taking the stage at the Mandalay Bay on Monday, January 8 at 9:30PM ET and you can watch his remarks live right here. What to expect at NVIDIA's CES 2025 press conference In addition to plenty of AI-centric partnerships and services, NVIDIA had a PC gamer-friendly slate of announcements at its CES 2024 press conference, with new RTX 40 Super GPU cards and upgrades to its GeForce Now game streaming platform. For 2025, look for the inevitable sequels, with rumors suggesting a blazing fast RTX 5090 for starters. Of course, Wall Street will be more focused on the details Huang will undoubtedly share on the status of NVIDIA's AI hardware. We're likely to hear more news on the company's Blackwell AI chips, which should begin shipping in greater volume this year after first entering the market in late 2024. NVIDIA's CES 2025 livestream You can watch NVIDIA's CES presser as it happens right here we'll add the YouTube embed ahead of the event's start time on Monday, January 6 at 9:30PM ET. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/watch-the-nvidia-ces-2025-press-conference-live-monday-930pm-et-174947756.html?src=rss
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