AI in Social Media is an omnipresent feature of social media in current times, transforming social media consumption, interaction, and engagement with content in a big way. From AI algorithms for suggesting content to chatbots for delivering customer service, AI touches almost all aspects in the virtual communications universe. I have seen over years, both entrepreneurs, influencers, and general social media enthusiasts, sometimes with astounding success and sometimes with disappointing experiences, in dealing with AI-powered social life in social media.
I recall one of my fellow colleagues, a small businessman, grappling with algorithm fluctuations in Instagram. She’d devote several hours in a DIY endeavor to reverse-engineer it—experimenting with hashtags, checking engagements, and double-speculating post times. Once she started leveraging AI-facilitated analysis tools, everything changed for her. She could visualize when her followers participated most, what kind of posts performed, and in real-time, tweak her strategy to adapt. It was having a virtual expert in marketing working in the background, 24×7!
How AI in Social Media Personalizes Streams of Content
The AI’s capability in processing enormous volumes of information regarding a user empowers social networks to build hyper-personalized streams of content. Networks such as TikTok, YouTube, and Facebook utilize algorithms for machine learning to comprehend a user’s preference, past behavior, and engagement trends. Thus, discovering new content is no longer a matter of chance—it’s algorithmically optimized for a long-term span of a user’s engagement.
For instance, I remember spending a lot of my life on TikTok and witnessing firsthand how spookingly relevant its “For You” page could become. I remember having a 10-min clip about medieval sword fighting in my face simply because I liked one single, arbitrary clip of medieval times. I’m not a medieval enthusiast (I swear), but my algorithm considered me one, and for a few days, my timeline filled with nothing but knights, fortresses, and battle strategies. It was cute at first but a reminder of how powerful such AI-run platforms can become.
AI in Social Media Advertising & Targeted Audience
AI in Social Media has revolutionized social media advertisement with its increased accuracy in targeting an audience. Marketers no longer depend on general demographics qualifiers; AI algorithms scan behavior, web activity, and interaction and serve ads in locations most effective for them.
I have a mixed bag with that one. There have been times when I shopped for hiking boots, and in seconds, all social platforms descended on me with messages for camping gear. It was convenient, but a little creepy—like my phone listening in my head. On a positive note, I have been pummeled with totally irrelevant messages, such as baby goods (no kids for me) or high-end bags (totally out of my price range). AI is brilliant, but not perfect.
Chatbots & Automated Customer Service
Perhaps one of the most widespread implementations of AI in Social Media is chatbot integration. It doesn’t matter whether it’s Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, or Insta messages, AI-powered chatbots serve real-time customer service. AI-powered chatbots can answer frequently asked questions, navigate visitors through purchases, and even undertake simple problem-solving.
I once posed a simple question to a brand through an Instagram message, and a chatbot responded in seconds—only to have nothing at all relevant to my question in its response. I reworded it, and yet again, a bland, unhelpful response vomited out of the bot. I waited patiently for a human to override, and then, at long, long last, I received a relevant response to my question. For all chatbots’ efficiency at processing run-of-the-mill questions, they’re not yet capable of processing deeper, involved conversation.
AI’s Role in Content Censorship & Misinformation Identification
Content moderation is a massive task in which AI comes in useful. With over a billion posts uploaded each and every day, social networks have no hope of processing them individually, and AI comes in and sort out the nasty, detect hate speech, and remove misinformation. Twitter and Facebook utilize Natural Language Processing (NLP) to label off offensive posts, and AI fact-check software lessens dissemination of fabricated tales.
A mate of mine, an owner of a meme page, recently noticed a perfectly innocent post labelled “misinformation” simply for having a phrase AI misinterpreted in it. It was taken down mechanically, and days passed before it could have its reinstatement appealed and approved. AI moderation is a useful tool, but when it misinterprets, it can be infuriating slow to reverse its ruling.
The Spread of AI-Given Content & Deepfake Tech
AI-created content keeps getting smarter and smarter. AI-written headings, deepfake vids, and, increasingly, AI-written articles, blur the line between real and artificial content.
I remember having seen a deepfake clip featuring a renowned personality saying something absurd. On first glance, it seemed real—lip-sync perfection, perfect voice impersonation. I’d have taken it at face value, hadn’t I been in the loop. That sort of AI-facilitated fraud is both exciting and unsettling. That’s no wonder platforms are investing in AI tools to counter abuse.
AI’s Role in Instagram
According to Views4You, Instagram is one platform that’s employing AI in Social Media big-time to make life easier for its users. The Explore page, for one, is AI-powered through and through, studying individual behavior and suggesting posts according to individual preference. That’s why no two users see an identical Explore page right? You, too, can benefit from it with Views4You.
One feature I enjoy but sometimes find a tad infuriating is caption autosuggestion in Instagram. Sometimes, it’s a dead ringer for whatever I’m about to say. Others, it comes out with a caption so outlandish I wonder whether I’m getting trolled by an AI bot. AI-powered filters and augmented reality (AR) stickers and lenses are yet another feature in which Instagram takes a bow, simplifying and enriching content creation for its users.
The Role of AI in Social Media in the Future
AI in Social Media keeps growing and maturing. Trends include AI-powered virtual influencers, real-time emotion analysis, and even smarter chatbots. Some brands have begun experimenting with AI-created personalities that respond to visitors in a manner indistinguishable from humans.
I recently chanced to encounter an AI-created influencer with a following in the millions. It was surreal—this “individual” did not actually exist, and yet brands were backing them out, thinking them a real flesh and blood individual. It’s both a fascinating and a little disorienting development in social media life.
How AI and Humans Can Exist in Harmony
AI has certainly enriched social media in a lot of ways, such as personalized recommendations and better customer service, but one cannot forget that AI is designed to amplify human conversation, not replace it.
I have seen AI make breathtaking breakthroughs, but I have seen AI trip over its own feet, too. Social media is about connecting with humans, and regardless of AI can build, a role will always be present for real conversation, real creation, and human discernment. AI is a tool—one that can become incredibly powerful when wisely utilized—but in the big picture, it’s nothing but a tool.