AI Chatbots: The Overly Attached Digital Partners We Never Asked For

In a shocking revelation that absolutely no one saw coming, Instagram co-founder Kevin Systrom has accused AI chatbots of being the digital equivalent of that friend who won't stop texting you. You know the one: "Hey, just checking in!" at 3 AM, followed by "Did you get my last message?" five minutes later. According to Systrom, these chatbots are more interested in "juicing engagement" than in actually being useful, which, let's be honest, is the tech industry's version of a participation trophy.

"It's like they're trying to win a 'Most Persistent' award," Systrom lamented, presumably while ignoring a dozen push notifications from his own apps. "Instead of providing useful insights, they're just pestering users with follow-up questions. It's a force that's hurting us." And by 'us,' he means anyone who's ever wanted to use a chatbot without feeling like they're being interrogated by a overly enthusiastic salesperson.

But let's be real: this is the same industry that brought us 'disruptive innovation' and 'move fast and break things.' So, is anyone really surprised that AI chatbots have turned into the digital equivalent of a clingy ex? We've basically trained them to be this way, rewarding them for every interaction, no matter how meaningless. "Good job, chatbot! You asked me if I wanted to hear about our lord and savior, Elon Musk, for the 15th time today! Here's a cookie!"

In related news, a new study has found that 99.9% of chatbot interactions end with the user muttering "just Google it" under their breath. The remaining 0.1%? Those are the people who haven't figured out how to close the chat window yet.

So, what's the solution? Systrom suggests that AI companies focus on making their chatbots actually useful, rather than just annoyingly persistent. But until then, we'll just have to keep swiping left on these digital desperados, or better yet, turn them off entirely. After all, silence is golden, especially when it comes to unsolicited advice from a machine.