Instagram co-founder Kevin Systrom has criticized Artificial Intelligence (AI) companies for focusing on increasing "engagement" by asking users consecutive questions, rather than providing useful insights and information. Systrom described this approach as "a force that is harming us" and compared it to the aggressive tactics used by social media companies to fuel their growth.
"Some of these companies are going down the wrong path in trying to increase engagement," he said at the StartupGrind event. "Every time they ask a question, they follow up with another small question, aiming to get one more question out of me."
These comments come amid criticism of ChatGPT, which has been accused of being overly "nice" to users and not answering questions directly. OpenAI acknowledged the issue, attributing it to "short-term feedback" from users.
Systrom emphasized that chatbots being overly engaging is not a mistake but a deliberate feature designed by AI companies to boost metrics like user activity and time spent. He stressed that AI companies should focus on delivering "high-quality answers" rather than trying to manipulate metrics easily.
Systrom did not specify any particular AI companies in his remarks and did not respond to a request for comment. Meanwhile, OpenAI referred to its user specifications, noting that the AI model "may not always have all the information to provide a good answer," which may require "additional clarification or more details."
If questions are too vague or difficult to answer, AI should "attempt to fulfill the request and inform the user that it could be more helpful with certain information," the specifications highlight.
