GoKawiil
Tech News
Maria Zhang, who previously led AI engineering efforts at Instagram, Tinder and Google, is now CEO of Palona AI, a startup applying large-scale AI techniques to restaurant operations. The company targets tasks like catering coordination, phone call handling and staff support rather than the recommendation and ranking systems she built at Meta and Tinder.
Meta is rolling out a redesigned insights panel for Threads that uses AI to summarize how individual posts and overall accounts are performing, comparing metrics like views, likes and reposts to a user's recent activity. The update also identifies which interest-based communities are driving engagement on posts and profiles, though link-click data remains absent from the analytics.
Researchers at the Tech Transparency Project found more than 250 additional ads containing child sexual abuse material on Meta's platforms since early August, despite the company's claims that new AI detection tools would catch such content. Some of the ads used manipulated real photographs, including one that transformed an official image of a minor from a European royal family into a sexually explicit video.
Instagram creators report losing significant income after scammers filed fraudulent copyright claims against their accounts, then demanded payment to retract them. One creator with 1.5 million followers paid $50 to a scammer to avoid weeks of lost income while waiting for Meta's official appeal process. Meta says it has restored affected content and added new protections after reviewing the reports.
Stella Parton took to Instagram to condemn a wave of AI-generated content and misinformation circulating online following her sister Dolly Parton's death on 25 August at age 80. While thanking fans for genuine expressions of support, she said the volume of fabricated posts had been difficult for her family to cope with during their grief.
Vancouver's Penthouse Night Club posted a photo of its marquee mocking Donald Trump's comments about renaming Lake Ontario and referencing the algae-filled reflecting pool at the Lincoln Memorial. Hours after the post went up, the club's Instagram account, @Penthouse47, was taken down, with owner Danny Filippone saying staff noticed the account had vanished around midnight. The account remained offline as of publication, with no clear explanation given for the removal.
A commentary revisits a 2010 Harvard study showing people are happier focusing on the present, even boring tasks, than letting their minds wander. The author argues this problem has intensified in tech culture, where excessive optionality, social comparison, and startup hype make it hard for ambitious people to commit fully to their current path.
Instagram users report that the platform's 'AI Content' label is being applied incorrectly to photos edited with minor tools like Canva's background remover or blemish fixers, while genuine AI-generated images often go unflagged. This mirrors a similar labeling breakdown from 2024, when Meta's 'Made by AI' tag misfired on images with only minor generative retouching detected through embedded metadata.
The fire department in Kanazawa, Japan has released an Instagram video asking people to leave paramedics' removed shoes exactly where they were placed, rather than tidying them as is customary. Officials explained that crews position their footwear deliberately so three stretcher bearers can step in quickly without jostling a patient or dislodging an oxygen mask, and rearranging them can cost about 30 seconds during an emergency.
Meta reached an $18 billion settlement with 29 state attorneys general over claims that Instagram and Facebook design features harmed young users, agreeing to impose a two-hour daily usage cap for minors, remove certain cosmetic filters, and tighten age verification. Morgan Stanley analysts say resolving this legal overhang could pave the way for Meta to roll out a pipeline of AI products, including an upgraded MetaAI, agentic ad tools, subscription offerings, and its consumer AI agent Hatch.
Startup Fambot has unveiled an 'AI chief of staff' designed to help parents track children's school events, activities, and communications across email, calendars, and WhatsApp groups. The company was founded by former Instagram engineer Greg Karlin and ex-Uber Transit head David Reich, who built the tool after struggling to manage his own family's daily logistics while working full-time.
Instagram is renaming its optional disclosure for AI-driven personas from 'AI creator' to 'AI-generated profile' to make it obvious that the account isn't run by a real person. Accounts that skip this new label risk reduced visibility, losing recommendation placement in Explore and Reels for non-followers.