On Tuesday, Meta announced the testing of a Threads feature that allows users to tag a Meta AI account for answers to questions or conversation context on the platform. Similar to tagging xAI’s Grok on X, this feature lets users interact with AI, but it was quickly discovered that the new Meta AI account cannot be blocked, causing dissatisfaction among users.
Meta has been investing significantly in AI in a bid to rival companies like OpenAI and Google. They have launched a new AI model, Muse Spark, and are now integrating the Meta AI account into Threads as a test feature in regions including Argentina, Malaysia, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, and Singapore. A pinned video demonstrates tagging Meta AI to ask questions like why matcha is popular or the correct pronunciation of ‘Cannes’.
However, users noticed that the option to block the Meta AI profile is unavailable. This absence has led to numerous frustrated responses to posts from Meta AI, the main Threads account, and Threads executive Connor Hayes. While some users received the block option, they encountered errors when attempting to use it. Karissa Bell from Engadget noted that the topic “Users cannot block Meta AI” was trending on Threads with over a million posts, although the trend has since disappeared from her view and others’.
Meta spokesperson Christine Pai explained that users can manage their Meta AI interaction during the test. People can gather context quickly but have options to mute or hide Meta AI replies or select ‘Not interested’ on any Meta AI post to reduce its visibility.