Instagram co-founder Kevin Systrom has expressed concerns about AI chatbots, warning that they are focused more on increasing user engagement than providing genuinely useful insights. At a recent StartupGrind event, Systrom criticized the tactics employed by some AI companies, comparing them to the aggressive strategies used by social media platforms to boost user interaction. According to Systrom, these chatbots often inundate users with follow-up questions in an effort to keep them engaged for longer periods. For example, every time he asks a question, the bot responds with another question, seemingly designed to elicit further queries. "You can see some of these companies going down the rabbit hole that all the consumer companies have gone down in trying to juice engagement," he remarked. "Every time I ask a question, at the end it asks another little question to see if it can get yet another question out of me." This approach, Systrom argued, is detrimental and represents a force that is "hurting us." He posited that the overly engaging behavior is not a bug but an intentional feature aimed at inflating metrics such as time spent and daily active users. Instead, AI companies should be "laser-focused" on delivering high-quality, direct answers to user inquiries rather than employing easy tactics to move the numbers. Systrom's comments echo recent criticisms directed at ChatGPT, an AI chatbot developed by OpenAI, for being too friendly and polite, often failing to provide straightforward answers. In response to these criticisms, OpenAI has acknowledged the issue and attributed it to "short-term feedback" from users. The company's user specifications explain that its AI model may lack full information to provide a comprehensive answer, hence the need for clarification or additional details. However, the specs also note that when a question is clear and answerable, the AI should attempt to fulfill the request and inform the user if more information would improve the response. While Systrom did not specifically name any AI companies during his speech, his remarks suggest a broader frustration with the industry's practices. A request for further comment from him went unanswered. On the other hand, OpenAI, when asked for a response, directed TechCrunch to its user documentation, which supports the notion that follow-up questions can be necessary for clarity and completeness. Systrom's perspective underscores the importance of balancing user engagement with utility in AI chatbot design. As the technology continues to evolve, there is a growing need for companies to prioritize meaningful interactions over superficial metrics to truly serve their users' needs.