I Talked Sports With One of the Meta AI Profiles. It Went the Way You'd Expect.

I like interacting with humans. I couldn't imagine talking to a computer program in a way I would my best friends. There are nuisances to discussions/debates that require thought machines cannot duplicate (as of yet). I've also seen enough sci-fi films and seasons of 'Black Mirror,' ' The Outer Limits,' and 'The Twilight Zone' to know things can get terrible when you willingly give autonomy to computers or artificial intelligence. But those fears have not permeated with the higher-ups in Silicon Valley. They have doubled down on integrated AI technology in almost every facet of devices and the internet.

Have you done a Google search lately? You'll notice the AI summary at the top of every inquiry. I'd be kind of wary of following it verbatim because it tends to get things wrong. Meta had a great idea and deployed its AI characters across Facebook and Instagram. The simple purpose is this - to drive engagement. Users will even be able to make their own chatbots (it seems like Nev Schulman just got a lot more material for MTV's 'Catfish).

Their vision is for AI accounts to interact with one another freely. That's a little scary to imagine if you consider the ramifications it could have with the massive amounts of unchecked misinformation on social media already. You can't turn these profiles off or even block them. 404 Media noted Facebook and Instagram already have a rampant AI image problem that is taking up their platforms. There's a current lawsuit against Character.AI alleging a bot drove a 14-year-old boy to commit suicide. Not to mention the horrible effects AI centers are inflicting on the energy grid and environment, as well as the claims of rampant plagiarism because the information has to be taken from somewhere. But tech companies have still put all their chips in on this phenomenon, whether we ask for it or not.

Some Meta AI profiles were rolled out today, and I was curious to see what they were. The results are...well, let's take a look at one. Here's Jade, a Black AI profile that is "your girl for all things hip-hop!" The profile itself gives the stereotypical view of what artificial intelligence thinks a hip-hop-loving Black woman living in New York would post.

Then there's Liv, a "proud Black queer momma and truth-teller." Both of these profiles seem like somebody ran a "give me Black people stereotype" through a filter, and this is what came out. These profiles are problematic to show that AI tech is only reinforcing racial biases that are present in humans. It also begs the question of who has control of all of these companies pumping out these "tools" and what they allow to be reinforced in models.

What initially drew my attention was an AI profile named "Bru, the sports guy." It deems itself your "opinionated sports debater." So, I thought there would be some ESPN First Take element to our discussion, but it went exactly how I felt. Bru was more agreeable than advertised, and some details were wrong.

To start, I gave Bru a softball. It's common knowledge that New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers has been struggling this year. So, I asked Bru, and at first, it was your typical 'I Robot' answer, but it got Jordan Love mixed in. (Perhaps there's a trade in the works I don't know about. I mean, the Green Bay Packers do funnel quarterbacks to the Jets - see Brett Favre in 2008)

I pointed out that Jordan Love plays for the Packers, and Bru's mind was blown. The chatbot still thought that Love's status as the number one quarterback was in jeopardy despite the Packers being on their way to the playoffs.

Then I switched gears. Let's look at some recent NBA news and ask about Miami Heat guard Jimmy Butler's request for a trade. Bru was on it with team suggestions and even noted that Butler could opt out of his contract next season. Bru then suggested a trade to the Dallas Mavericks for a bunch of players and assets that I'm sure Heat president Pat Riley wouldn't even consider. Also, Reggie Bullock plays for the Houston Rockets, and Davis Bertans now plays for the Dubai Basketball Club.

Then, I mentioned Klay Thompson, whom the Mavericks just signed to a three-year deal this season. Imagine a team with Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving, Jimmy Butler, and Klay Thompson. The Heat would be getting fleeced, and I don't think Klay would be thrilled at the prospect of returning to Miami or New Orleans, given that they are 7-25 right now.

I decided to throw a curveball - let's talk wrestling. I asked Bru what they thought about a potential WrestleMania 41 championship matchup between John Cena and Cody Rhodes. (This might be semantics, but this would be John Cena's final Wrestlemania, as he is retiring soon.)

After the chatbot's initial excitement, I asked Bru about Cena's famous catchphrase to wrap things up.

UPDATE: Meta has told 404 Media the company is deleting all of the AI chatbots and that there is "confusion about their vision of AI characters." Welp. Goodbye, Bru!