Meta AI Ad Tools Alter Products and Generate Errors for Advertisers

Meta has inserted AI features into its ad products in recent months, and advertisers have reported repeated errors including altered products and nonsensical images. Business Insider reported that eight advertisers and agency executives described dealing with these problems as routine.

Jessica Gleim, an ads consultant, said Meta recommended replacing a pajama dress image with a shirt and pants for one client and suggested adding men to ads for a women's networking group in Montana.

Karissa Tuccio, executive director of social and influencer at Mediassociates, said a bug that toggled AI settings on had affected most of her 15 Meta clients and that she flagged the issue to her Meta representative as recently as Thursday. Outdoor retailer REI drew consumer backlash last month after an Instagram ad showed a bike with two handlebars.

REI said Meta had auto-enrolled it in an AI feature that produced an inaccurate and inappropriate image.

Abigail Hogue, who works with Quite Literally Books, said an ad campaign featuring chocolates, macarons, candles, and books produced garbled text and knockoff-looking products about 12 hours after launch around Valentine's Day. Hogue edited the campaign in Meta's Ads Manager, turned off all AI creative enhancements, and republished the ads.

Meta customer service described the issue as a sporadic one-off occurrence and a glitch.

Hogue requested a refund, which Meta acknowledged, though Quite Literally Books had not received it as of Friday afternoon. A Meta spokesperson said the company's terms of service state that AI can make mistakes and that it is the advertiser's responsibility to review the AI outputs.