Meta is testing AI-generated comments on Instagram

You want to support your friend's new post, but your brain is completely fried and you cannot even muster a simple compliment.

Meta wants to take over that chore for you. The company is currently testing a new feature on Instagram called "Write with Meta AI" that drafts comments on your behalf.

Three canned compliments at a tap

The feature was first spotted by X user Jonah Manzano, who regularly tracks unreleased social media features.

According to Manzano's screen recording, users included in the test see a new pencil icon right next to the comment bar beneath a post.

Tapping that icon prompts Meta AI to scan the uploaded image and generate three tailored comment suggestions on the fly.

For instance, if someone posts a photo smiling in their living room, Meta AI might suggest comments like "Cute living room setup," "Love the cozy atmosphere," or "Great photo shoot location."

If none of those hit the mark, you can hit a refresh button to generate another batch until you find something acceptable.

A Meta spokesperson confirmed the test to TechCrunch, noting that the company regularly tests Meta AI across its apps in areas like comments, feed, groups, and search beyond private DMs.

A history of awkward AI experiments

This is hardly Meta's first attempt to inject AI into social conversations.

Last year, Meta tested AI-generated comments and AI comment summaries on Facebook to see if automation could spark more engagement.

Before that, the company launched AI-generated celebrity persona bots with their own distinct profiles, only to pull the plug after users deemed them creepy and pointless.

Meta has not specified when or if this Instagram comment generator will roll out to the general public.

Still, early sentiment suggests users might push back. Many people are already exhausted by algorithmic feeds and yearn for authentic human connection rather than automated AI slop.

Why it matters

For users, this feature turns genuine social validation into a hollow, one-tap reflex.

While it might save a few seconds when you feel socially obligated to chime in, friends can easily spot canned text, turning a well-meaning gesture into an awkward interaction.

We think this test misses the entire point of social media. Large language models excel at polite filler, but genuine relationships are built on actual attention and personal context.

Meta already learned this lesson once when its standalone AI characters flopped. Pushing automated comments into Instagram feels like an effort to juice Meta AI usage metrics rather than solving an actual user frustration.

If feeds devolve into AI bots applauding AI-generated photos, the platform risks eroding the human connection that made people download Instagram in the first place.