Artificial intelligence (AI) is now everywhere you go, leaving its mark on digital innovations globally. Despite the initial uproar over ethical concerns and job displacement, its widespread adoption across all industries and ecosystems was only a matter of time. Though these concerns are still alive, AI’s transformative force keeps advancing, and we now find ourselves at a point where it’s increasingly influencing how we interact and consume content across social media platforms.

It wouldn’t be far-fetched to say that every widely used social media platform thrives on AI in some way. From Snapchat’s augmented reality to Instagram’s content moderation and Facebook’s targeted advertising, AI is quietly steering the culture and cadence of online interaction.

However, this widespread integration has become a bane and boon for the major categories of users: commercial users and everyday users. On one hand, content creators, media professionals and the remaining 37.6% of all internet users who use social media for work purposes can automate routine tasks, streamline processes like research and content production with generative AI, platform-specific AI chatbots, and innovative features like TikTok’s Symphony.

These perks are further enhanced by AI algorithms that analyse data and extract actionable insights, predicting virality and audience sentiment.

Given these benefits, one might conclude that AI and social media are a match made in heaven. However, the remaining 62.4% of everyday users, who primarily use these platforms for socialising, entertainment, and communication, might feel differently.

AI’s Influence on the Popular Usage of Social Media

Before now, social media platforms were a marketplace of unique and diverse information, ideas, and content from users with blood running through their veins. However, the reverse is now the case. AI-generated content is becoming prevalent even in everyday discussions, gradually eroding the authenticity and genuine connections that were once the bedrock of social media.

For context, mainstream media is said to be facing an increasing distrust, exacerbated by the surge of AI-generated content, particularly on the first and fourth most used media platforms: Facebook and Instagram. 

That might explain the recent times you came across a picture on your feed, and just before you commented your admiration, it suddenly dawned on you “Oh, this probably doesn’t exist. Generative AI again?” 

This deceptive enticement is particularly pronounced among senior citizens who favour Facebook.  A survey by AARP and NORC found that only 17% of older adults are substantially aware of AI’s influence, making them particularly vulnerable to scams and misinformation.

Generative AI blurring the lines between real-life opinions and machine-generated plus generic content barely scratches the surface of what artificial intelligence has done to our digital experiences.

There’s also the pressing issue of algorithm bias. AI algorithms are trained on datasets that reflect existing biases in society. Consequently, when these algorithms set out to moderate content, biases can show up in different ways: giving more attention to sensational or popular topics, not showing enough content from minority voices, and reinforcing stereotypes.

Gender bias in job advertisements on platforms like LinkedIn and Facebook is a practical example of this effect. An investigation found that Facebook’s algorithm showed job ads for positions in the technology sector predominantly to men, while ads for more stereotypically “female” roles, like nursing or teaching, were shown more often to women, perpetuating societal biases about gender roles in the workplace.

Furthermore, content moderation algorithms frequently make misguided assumptions about user preferences, leading to a diluted and frustrating experience where users miss out on content they genuinely care about.