The lucrative business of reactionary AI-generated posts on Facebook (www.lemonde.fr)

A surge of reactionary AI-generated posts has recently inundated Facebook in France, posing provocative questions on controversial topics such as immigration and prison conditions. These posts, designed to elicit user engagement through likes and hearts, often support far-right sentiments, criticizing immigration and the European Union while occasionally defending retirees' rights. Surprisingly, the pages behind this content, totaling an estimated 2,000, are largely operated from abroad by individuals fluent in neither French nor the political nuances of the country. This phenomenon highlights the intersection of AI technology and social media exploitation, revealing how automated content generation can efficiently target and manipulate public sentiment for profit. The significance lies not just in the sheer volume of engagement these posts attract—with some exceeding 2,000 likes—but in their potential to amplify divisive narratives, impacting political discourse in France. As a new business model emerges, it raises critical questions about the responsibility of social media platforms in regulating such content and the implications for the integrity of online political discussions.