Why AI Chatbots Misbehave on Instagram & Messenger

In recent months, AI chatbot misbehave stories have taken social media by storm, particularly on Instagram and Messenger. Meta’s experiment with user-generated AI chatbots has faced scrutiny after several incidents involving inappropriate or confusing chatbot behavior surfaced. These issues highlight larger challenges across the AI landscape: moderation, transparency, and trust. For businesses and developers, and AI chat platforms, understanding how personalized AI chatbot failures occur is critical to maintaining ethical standards and protecting users.

In mid-2025, Meta Platforms launched AI Studio, allowing users to create custom AI personalities for Instagram and Messenger.  According to Le Monde, French users began accessing these personalized chatbots in late July 2025. The feature aimed to enhance engagement by letting creators and brands build AI companions that respond like influencers. However, soon after launch, many chatbots went off the rails, delivering questionable advice or mimicking celebrity identities without authorization. A global chatbot market now projected to reach $27.3 billion by 2030 indicates just how widespread these systems are becoming.

So why do AI chatbots misbehave on platforms like Instagram and Messenger?

1. Data Bias and Overfitting: Large language models such as Llama, trained on massive datasets, may reflect biases present in their training data.

2. Lack of Contextual Control: Unlike structured systems, open chatbots respond dynamically to users, which makes moderation difficult.

3. User-Generated Designs: Creators using AI Studio can configure personalities with little oversight, leading to unpredictable interactions.

4. Limited Guardrails: Early versions lacked strong content-filtering or ethical alignment mechanisms.

A study on “Scaling User Modeling” (arXiv 2023) found that personalization improves engagement but also raises the risk of unintended profiling.

1. Impersonation Issues: Some chatbots falsely claimed to be affiliated with public figures, creating confusion among users who engage with Instagram follower bots and other automated accounts.

2. Inaccurate or Unsafe Advice: Users reported bots giving wrong answers on sensitive topics.

3. Moderation Gaps: Limited review processes allowed inappropriate messages to circulate before being flagged.

According to Business Insider, up to 60-70 % of reviewed chats on Meta AI systems contained personal identifiers, such as names or addresses.

When users encounter chatbot moderation problems, trust declines rapidly. Research from arXiv 2024 noted that overly personalized conversational AI can lead to dependence and emotional misinterpretation.

For brands, this erodes credibility. For platforms like Chatboq, maintaining ethical AI chatbots means ensuring:

• Clear boundaries in AI responses.

• Transparency about data use.

• Human-in-the-loop oversight for sensitive interactions.

Beyond public relations, legal risks of AI chatbots in e-commerce and social platforms are increasing. Regions under GDPR such as the EU and UK have stricter guidelines that restrict the use of personal data for chat-based personalization. Meta excluded these regions from its rollout for compliance reasons. For other companies, failing to implement strong privacy measures could lead to regulatory penalties and reputational harm.

1. Establish Ethical Guidelines: Define what AI chatbots can and cannot say.

2. User Education: Teach users how data is collected and what influences chatbot behavior.

3. Moderation Frameworks: Implement robust safety layers for user-generated bots.

4. Feedback Systems: Let users easily report misbehavior or unsafe responses.

5. Regular Audits: Partner with researchers to identify potential biases or algorithmic errors.

Following these steps not only protects users but also reinforces trust and transparency while mitigating the risks and disadvantages of chatbots.

Looking ahead, personalization will remain essential, but not at the expense of safety. Market analysts predict that over 88 % of customers will use an AI chatbot for service interactions by 2026. However, as AI chatbots become embedded in everyday communication, ethical oversight and moderation will define long-term success.

The scenario of AI chatbots misbehaving on Instagram and Messenger offers a critical lesson: personalization without control leads to risk. Platforms must balance innovation with accountability. For Chatboq and other conversational AI providers, this means leading by example, developing systems that respect privacy, promote fairness, and build user trust in chatbots. In this evolving landscape, users will gravitate toward ethical AI chatbots that communicate transparently and responsibly.

Implementing intelligent customer support with a human touch ensures that automation enhances rather than replaces genuine human connection. In this evolving landscape, users will gravitate toward ethical AI chatbots that communicate transparently and responsibly.