Meta Unveils AI TikTok: A New Social Network No One Asked For

Mark Zuckerberg has unveiled on his Instagram profile a brand new social network named Vibes. The platform’s concept might sound familiar: an endless scroll of short vertical videos. However, there’s a unique twist to it. All the videos are generated by artificial intelligence.

Meta has a lengthy history of pursuing innovations that no one really asked for. Over the past few years, Mark Zuckerberg’s company has been deeply invested in the metaverse, convinced that it represents the next gold rush in tech – despite the mixed outcomes seen so far. Currently, aside from augmented reality glasses that likely won’t go mainstream anytime soon, Meta struggles to expand its business portfolio.

This might be why the company has decided to return to its roots: social networks. Despite the lukewarm success of Threads, Mark Zuckerberg is not giving up and has introduced a new platform via his Instagram account. Named Vibes, this platform won’t seem much different if you’re already familiar with consuming vertical videos on TikTok, YouTube, or Instagram. But there is one small catch.

Meta Introduces a New Social Network Powered by AI

This new platform mirrors others in many ways. It features an array of short videos where users can swipe up to see the next one. An algorithm figures out your interests to suggest videos you might like. Additionally, users can react to a video by creating a new one, similar to TikTok’s “duet” feature.

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However, when Meta isn’t directly copying its competitors, it tries new things… which don’t always pan out well. This time around, the revolutionary idea is to dedicate this new social network entirely to AI-generated videos. These types of videos, which are already flooding other platforms, tend to irritate most people who come across them and generally increase distrust towards online content.

Just look at the comments under Mark Zuckerberg’s post. Excluding the profiles with a blue badge – indicating they’ve paid Meta – the majority of users are at best dismayed by the news. Comments range from “nobody wants this” to “how is this better than real life,” and the announcement has been met with thinly veiled lukewarm reception. It almost seems like users are primarily seeking authenticity in the content they consume.