Meta AI, the artificial intelligence application developed by one of the world’s wealthiest companies, has rapidly gained traction since its launch on April 29. With 6.5 million downloads in just a few months, the app has become a notable player in the tech landscape. Such widespread adoption has not been without troubled waters, especially considering its stormy privacy worries.
Meta AI’s technology has its roots in that organization’s multibillion-dollar investment. This funding has come through Meta, the company previously known as Facebook. This funding has supercharged the development of cutting-edge features. Today, anyone with an internet connection can click a few buttons and create hyper-realistic images or stunningly realistic content. Image users have generated imaginative creations like Mario standing in a courtroom captioned super mario divorce. They’ve sketch pictured a surrealistic landscape where Mark Zuckerberg wears a pregnant belly while marrying a beetle.
Amanda Silberling, a senior writer at TechCrunch and an expert on the intersection of technology and culture, highlights the app’s unusual use cases. Additionally, she notes that users come looking for assistance in a wide variety of contexts. Requests run the gamut from help drafting character letters for employees to policy requests for addressing very personal health issues, such as red spots on their inner thighs.
Meta AI has been used for more playful questions. One user asked, “Hey, Meta, why do some farts stink more than other farts?” showing off the fun new side of the app’s creative engagement features.
For all of its fun and interesting nature, the app has faced criticism over multiple privacy violations. Security expert Rachel Tobac found examples of users’ sensitive information—including home addresses and court records—being inadvertently leaked. It raises grave concerns about how user data is processed and safeguarded on the platform.
Additionally, users have resorted to posting requests that would result in even more privacy-invading violations. Others post their actual cell number on Facebook groups for help connecting with qualified dates. For some, they use the app to mass produce their resumes and look for opportunities in the cybersecurity job market. These actions underscore a broader need for clearer guidelines and safeguards within Meta AI.
Beyond the amusing and useful, though, Meta AI has sparked stranger fare. Fans have made fantastic art of Goku enjoying Russia Day. In addition, they’ve blown past the limits of their creativity by turning a water bottle into a bong out of good ol’ household products.
That’s because Meta AI is rapidly changing and drawing in new users each day. In turn, the company should address the new privacy risks associated with its tech. This quick growth reels in a lot of risks that could backfire on Meta. It leaves an ongoing, deeply consequential challenge for the company and its users.