Meta's new Threads AI assistant can't be blocked

Meta has introduced a new feature in Threads that lets users tag a built-in AI assistant to get answers to questions and context in conversations. It resembles the way X users summon xAI's Grok. But as Threads users quickly found out, Meta's new AI account cannot be blocked, and that has triggered a wave of discontent.

How the new AI in Threads works

The feature is being tested on the platform and lets users mention Meta's AI account in their posts to get answers to questions or additional information about the topic under discussion. It is a convenient way to get a quick reference without switching to a separate chat interface or app.

In functionality it does resemble using Grok on X, where users can call up an AI model right in the flow of a discussion. It is especially similar to interacting with AI assistants in chats, where the user types a question and the AI replies in real time. For Meta, it is a way to get more people using its AI services by building them directly into the social network.

Users can't block the bot

The main problem Threads users noticed is that this AI account cannot be blocked. Most platforms offer an option to block unwanted accounts, but Meta AI has no such option. That means users cannot hide this bot's posts and cannot remove it from their experience on the platform.

The criticism was immediate and sharp. People argue that this violates the basic principle of control over your own feed:

• You cannot block a mandatory AI account
• You cannot hide posts from this bot
• Forced interaction with AI in the feed
• No choice in how you use the platform
• A violation of the principle of user autonomy

"It makes everyone interact with AI, whether they want to or not,"

users complained in their posts.

The situation recalls other disputes over mandatory features on social networks, where platforms put their own services ahead of user wishes.

Meta's billions in AI are getting more aggressive

Meta has poured billions of dollars into developing its own AI models in an effort to catch up with rivals such as OpenAI and Google. The company is hiring top specialists, building expensive infrastructure and funding research. In April, it launched a new model, Llama Spark, integrated into its services to handle a range of tasks.

Meta's strategy is crystal clear: use its platforms (Threads, Instagram, Facebook), which have more than 3 billion active users, to distribute AI functionality to the masses. That lets the company collect data, improve its models and create new revenue streams.

The problem is that users may not want this. The approach makes economic sense for Meta, but it raises questions about how much people actually want this kind of integration in their social networks.

What this means

Launching a mandatory AI assistant in Threads is another signal that Meta sees artificial intelligence not as an option but as an integral part of its platforms for the long term. Users will see more AI content, will tag AI bots and will interact with them regardless of personal preference.

The blocking question is only the visible part of a bigger issue: how much control users have over their own experience on social networks. Social platforms are becoming places where companies, not people, decide what each user sees in their feed.

*Meta has been designated an extremist organization and is banned in Russia.