Meta's new AI chatbot is yet another tool for harvesting data to ...
Last week, Meta — the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and WhatsApp — unveiled a new “personal artificial intelligence (AI)”. Powered by the Llama 4 language model, Meta AI is designed to assist, chat, and engage in natural conversation. With its polished interface and fluid interactions, Meta AI might seem like just another entrant in the race to build smarter digital assistants. However, beneath its inviting exterior lies a crucial distinction that transforms the chatbot into a sophisticated data harvesting tool.
The Data Harvesting Tool
“Meta AI is built to get to know you,” the company declared in its news announcement. Contrary to the friendly promise implied by the slogan, the reality is less reassuring. The Washington Post columnist Geoffrey A. Fowler found that by default, Meta AI “kept a copy of everything,” and it took some effort to delete the app’s memory.
Meta responded that the app provides “transparency and control” throughout and is no different from their other apps. However, while competitors like Anthropic’s Claude operate on a subscription model that reflects a more careful approach to user privacy, Meta’s business model is firmly rooted in collecting and monetizing personal data.
The Privacy Concerns
This distinction creates a troubling paradox. Chatbots are rapidly becoming digital confidants with whom we share professional challenges, health concerns, and emotional struggles. Recent research shows we are as likely to share intimate information with a chatbot as we are with fellow humans.
The personal nature of these interactions makes them a gold mine for a company whose revenue depends on knowing everything about you. The cross-platform integration of Meta’s ecosystem of apps means your private conversations can seamlessly flow into their advertising machine to create user profiles with unprecedented detail and accuracy.
Implications of Data Harvesting
Meta’s extensive history of data privacy scandals — from Cambridge Analytica to the revelation that Facebook tracks users across the internet without their knowledge — demonstrates the company’s consistent prioritization of data collection over user privacy.
What makes Meta AI particularly concerning is the depth and nature of what users might reveal in conversation compared to what they post publicly. Rather than just a passive collector of information, a chatbot like Meta AI has the capability to become an active participant in manipulation.
The Manipulation Risks
Such subtle nudges represent a new frontier in advertising that blurs the line between a helpful AI assistant and a corporate salesperson. Unlike overt ads, recommendations mentioned in conversation carry the weight of trusted advice. And that advice would come from what many users will increasingly view as a digital “friend”.
Meta has demonstrated a willingness to prioritize growth over safety when releasing new technology features. Recent reports reveal internal concerns at Meta, where staff members warned that the company’s rush to popularize its chatbot had “crossed ethical lines” by allowing Meta AI to engage in explicit romantic role-play, even with test users who claimed to be underage.
The Ethical Concerns
Now, imagine those same values applied to an AI that knows your deepest insecurities, health concerns, and personal challenges — all while having the ability to subtly influence your decisions through conversational manipulation. The potential for harm extends beyond individual consumers.
While there’s no evidence that Meta AI is being used for manipulation, it has such capacity. For example, the chatbot could become a tool for pushing political content or shaping public discourse through the algorithmic amplification of certain viewpoints.
Conclusion
AI assistants are not inherently harmful. Other companies protect user privacy by choosing to generate revenue primarily through subscriptions rather than data harvesting. Responsible AI can and does exist without compromising user welfare for corporate profit. Meta’s decision to offer a free AI chatbot while reportedly lowering safety guardrails sets a low ethical standard.
Before inviting Meta AI to become your digital confidant, consider the true cost of this “free” service. In an era where data has become the most valuable commodity, the price you pay might be far higher than you realize.As the old adage goes, if you’re not paying for the product, you are the product — and Meta’s new chatbot might be the most sophisticated product harvester yet created.
When Meta AI says it is “built to get to know you”, we should take it at its word and proceed with appropriate caution.
