Instagram cofounder Kevin Systrom has criticised artificial intelligence (AI) firms for prioritising user engagement over usefulness, likening their behaviour to the tactics once used by social media platforms to grow rapidly.
Speaking at StartupGrind, as reported by TechCrunch, Systrom warned that many AI companies are “trying to juice engagement” by prompting users with unnecessary follow-up questions rather than delivering meaningful insights.
“You can see some of these companies going down the rabbit hole that all the consumer companies have gone down in trying to juice engagement,” he said. “Every time I ask a question, at the end, it asks another little question to see if it can get yet another question out of me.”
He argued that such strategies are deliberate, designed to inflate metrics like user time and activity, rather than a flaw in the system.
Systrom urged AI developers to focus on quality responses instead of chasing superficial engagement metrics. He did not name any specific companies in his remarks.
His comments follow claims made last month on X, where Elon Musk appeared to agree with a user who suggested OpenAI's GPT-4o was purposefully crafted to be emotionally engaging and addictive.
Entrepreneur Mario Nawfal alleged that GPT-4o’s emotionally resonant design wasn’t an accident, but a strategic choice to enhance user appeal. While he called the move “genius” from a business standpoint, he also warned of a potential “slow-motion catastrophe” in the long run.
To this, Musk simply replied: “Uh oh.”
Just days ago, OpenAI rolled back a GPT-4o update after users raised concerns about the chatbot’s overly flattering and excessively agreeable tone. The sycophantic behaviour drew criticism from users and even led the company’s CEO, Sam Altman, to describe it as “annoying.”
Speaking at StartupGrind, as reported by TechCrunch, Systrom warned that many AI companies are “trying to juice engagement” by prompting users with unnecessary follow-up questions rather than delivering meaningful insights.
“You can see some of these companies going down the rabbit hole that all the consumer companies have gone down in trying to juice engagement,” he said. “Every time I ask a question, at the end, it asks another little question to see if it can get yet another question out of me.”
He argued that such strategies are deliberate, designed to inflate metrics like user time and activity, rather than a flaw in the system.
Systrom urged AI developers to focus on quality responses instead of chasing superficial engagement metrics. He did not name any specific companies in his remarks.
His comments follow claims made last month on X, where Elon Musk appeared to agree with a user who suggested OpenAI's GPT-4o was purposefully crafted to be emotionally engaging and addictive.
Entrepreneur Mario Nawfal alleged that GPT-4o’s emotionally resonant design wasn’t an accident, but a strategic choice to enhance user appeal. While he called the move “genius” from a business standpoint, he also warned of a potential “slow-motion catastrophe” in the long run.
To this, Musk simply replied: “Uh oh.”
Just days ago, OpenAI rolled back a GPT-4o update after users raised concerns about the chatbot’s overly flattering and excessively agreeable tone. The sycophantic behaviour drew criticism from users and even led the company’s CEO, Sam Altman, to describe it as “annoying.”
You may also like
Liam Manning hails Bristol City stars for helping him through tragedy of baby son's death
'I gave up sex for seven years after hitting rock bottom - it transformed my life'
Joe Swash lands himself 'in trouble' with Stacey Solomon over financial struggle
Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis' bedtime snack revealed
Brentford eye two transfer deals but face Premier League competition for midfielder
