The appearance of chatbots in social media is annoying (but also totally predictable). What I find disappointing is the persistent practice of journalists to in

The appearance of chatbots in social media is annoying (but also totally predictable). What I find disappointing is the persistent practice of journalists to interview said chatbots as if those interviews mean something. They do not. These programs are essentially Monte Carlo simulations. Why on earth would you think they could tell you anything about their genesis? Also, let’s be real: Meta’s goal is and always has been to drive engagement. So it should not be surprising that they chose to create a bunch of avatars that many Americans will feel are a little too transgressive. Meta wants to rile you up so you stick around and post more.