Meta AI is taking over the internet, and there’s no escape from it—at least not on Instagram. The tech giant has integrated its AI assistant into all its major platforms, including Facebook, WhatsApp, Messenger, and yes, Instagram.
And here’s the kicker: you can’t turn it off on Instagram.
I know, I know. You’re probably thinking, “But Arva, I don’t want some AI chatbot telling me how to cut an avocado or peel an onion. I just want to mindlessly scroll through Instagram in peace.”
Trust me, I get it. But Meta has made it pretty clear that they’re all-in on this AI thing, and they’re not giving us an easy way to opt out.
So, what’s a social media addict to do? Well, let me break it down for you.
On Instagram, Meta AI will show up in the search bar, suggesting AI-powered results alongside your regular search queries. These AI suggestions will be marked with a fancy iridescent logo, so at least you’ll know what you’re getting into.
If you click on one of those AI suggestions, it’ll open up a chat window with Meta AI, where you can interact with it just like any other chatbot. But here’s the catch: it’s the same chat log across all Meta apps, so if you ask it something on Instagram, it’ll remember that conversation on Facebook or WhatsApp.
Now, I know what you’re thinking: “Arva, can’t I just ignore the AI suggestions and carry on with my life?”
Well, yes, you can try that. But Meta AI is integrated into the core experience, so it’s not going to be that easy to avoid. You might see AI prompts popping up in your feed or under certain posts, tempting you to engage with the chatbot.
And if you’re someone who loves to search for cooking tips or DIY tutorials on Instagram, well, good luck avoiding those AI suggestions. They’re going to be there, whether you like it or not.
So, what’s the solution? Unfortunately, there’s no clear-cut way to disable Meta AI on Instagram. Meta has made it abundantly clear that they’re not giving us that option.
However, there are a few things you can do to minimize your AI encounters:
- Pay attention to the icons: As I mentioned, Meta AI suggestions will be marked with that fancy iridescent logo. As long as you’re vigilant and avoid clicking on those, you should be able to steer clear of the chatbot.
- Provide feedback: If you do end up interacting with Meta AI and don’t like the experience, you can long-press on its responses and rate them or even remove them from the conversation. Meta says they’ll use this feedback to improve the AI, but who knows if they’ll actually listen.
- Delete the chat: On Messenger and WhatsApp, you can actually delete your conversation with Meta AI, effectively “removing” it from those apps (at least until you accidentally click on the icon and start a new chat).
But at the end of the day, the cold, hard truth is that Meta AI is here to stay, and it’s going to be integrated into your social media experience whether you like it or not.
You can try to ignore it, you can try to provide feedback, but unless Meta has a sudden change of heart, you’re going to have to learn to live with this AI assistant lurking in the background of your Instagram experience.
So, embrace the future, folks. Or, you know, maybe consider deleting Instagram altogether and reclaiming your sanity. Your call.