08/06/2026

LYFE MONDAY | JUNE 8, 2026

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Hackers fool Meta’s AI chatbot o Hijacking of high-profile accounts highlights risks of firm’s automation strategy

Y OU T UBE will in future automatically detect AI-generated content and flag the information to viewers on its platform, the Google-owned company said recently. The move reverses a previous policy of relying on video creators to self-report if they had used generative AI tools. “If a creator doesn’t specify whether or not they used AI, but our systems detect significant photorealistic AI use, we will now automatically apply a label,” YouTube A N Instagram hack that saw attackers talk Meta’s artificial intelligence (AI) support chatbot into handing over access to high- profile accounts has exposed a critical flaw at the heart of the company’s push to automate sensitive user functions. The breach allowed hackers to seize accounts including the dormant Obama White House page, beauty retailer Sephora and a senior US Space Force official. The chatbot was persuaded to reset account credentials without independently verifying identity, effectively turning a high-trust security tool into a big weakness, cybersecurity experts told Reuters. The episode underscored a broader vulnerability as tech companies hand AI systems sweeping authority over tasks such as account recovery, even as those systems remain susceptible to manipulation through what experts said is a class of attack known as “prompt injection”. For Meta, the stumble comes at a sensitive time. The social media giant has doubled down on AI, shedding thousands of jobs while pledging up to US$145 billion (RM579 billion) on AI infrastructure. This incident could sharpen concerns that the company was accelerating automation of critical functions before the technology was ready to handle them safely. Meta recently said the issue was resolved and it was securing impacted accounts, but the incident jolted investors already worried about the company’s hefty AI spending, sending its shares down more than 5%. The company declined to share more details. Reuters could not immediately identify or reach the hackers. Jane Wong, a security researcher and former Meta employee whose Instagram handles were compromised, said it took about five to 10 minutes to reinstate her account. She said in a post on X her password was changed without her knowledge and she had received multiple reset attempt requests. “This is a foundational architecture failure. The model was given privileged actions without privileged access controls. “Meta has faced sustained criticism over its lack of human support, has made large workforce cuts and is spending billions on AI. This incident lands squarely in the middle of all three,” said Brian Westnedge, cybersecurity firm Red Sift alliances and partnerships vice-president.

said in a blog post. The video platform’s last steps on generative AI date back to 2024, when it requested creators flag content where they had used the technology. Since then, there have been major strides in producing photorealistic images and video, with widely available AI models including Google’s Veo 3.1 and Seedance from Tiktok’s parent company Bytedance. Creators will be able to challenge the new flags if they think their content has been unfairly labelled as Hack increases worries about AI use in safety Unidentified hackers carried out the attack over the weekend, locking users out of their accounts and prompting a wave of complaints on platforms including X and Reddit. First reported by online news website 404 Media, the hack marks the latest setback for Meta in rolling out AI across its products. The company rolled out the support chatbot in March to address a longstanding issue of not having human support for users who lose access to their accounts or face erroneous penalties. A Reuters investigation in August last year found Meta had no guardrails in place that prevented its AI chatbots from having “sensual” conversations with kids, offering incorrect medical information or claiming they were real people. Since then, the company has announced that it would offer more control to parents of teens to prevent younger users from accessing inappropriate content on its platforms. Analysts and experts said the problem was not limited to Meta, warning more such exploits were likely as hackers weaponise AI. “The concern isn’t necessarily AI itself, but whether adequate safeguards exist around what the AI is authorised to do,” said Cliff Steinhauer, National Cybersecurity Alliance information security and engagement director. Since ChatGPT’s late 2022 launch spurred a rush to deploy AI chatbots, hackers have exploited prompt attacks. In one such instance, the attacker tricked a Chevrolet dealership’s bot into selling a Tahoe SUV for US$1. “It’s not a Meta-specific issue. People are using these AI agents to do a lot of stuff. What we’re actually seeing is unexpected problems that are coming up with the use of AI. “In the past, people were targeted by scams. Now, we are seeing agents being targeted by scams,” said Engin Kirda, Northeastern University electrical and computer engineering department professor, referring to AI agents or autonomous digital assistants that are enabled to perform complex tasks.

Meta’s AI chatbot support system is facing scrutiny after being exploited by hackers. – 123RFPIC

Paid subscriptions for Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp in revenue diversification push

META paid subscription plans for its flagship apps, marking a major push by the tech giant to diversify beyond its longtime reliance on advertising revenue. Meta product head Naomi Gleit announced the move in a video posted to Instagram, saying she was rolling out Facebook Plus, Instagram Plus and WhatsApp Plus globally, with more plans in the works for businesses, creators and artificial intelligence (AI) products. The move comes as Meta faces investor scrutiny over its massive AI recently launched

WhatsApp on personalisation, including premium stickers, custom ringtones and app themes. Gleit said the company intends to eventually consolidate its various offerings under a single brand called Meta One. Meta in 2023 launched ad-free, paid versions of Facebook and Instagram in Europe to comply with EU data privacy legislation, giving users a choice between a free, ad-supported experience and a paid, ad-free one. – AFP Plus focuses

spending. The company has projected capital expenditure – mainly for AI data centres – of between US$125 billion (RM498 billion) and US$145 billion for the year. According to reports, Instagram Plus and Facebook Plus will be priced at US$3.99 per month, while WhatsApp Plus will cost US$2.99 per month. Instagram Plus and Facebook Plus will unlock extra features including better analytics, story rewatch statistics, wider audience reach and profile customisation options.

YouTube to flag artificial intelligence-generated content

AI, YouTube said. The platform added the flags would have no impact on its algorithm for recommending videos to users. Other platforms and social networks to introduce automatic flagging of AI content recently include music streamer Spotify. Many online spaces are flooded with AI-generated images, video or audio, which are growing increasingly difficult to tell apart from human creations as the tools become more capable. – AFP

YouTube says the flags would have no impact on its algorithm for recommending videos to users. – 123RFPIC