Meta’s AI assistant is about to get a little more personal, and probably not in the way you're expecting.
Beginning December 16, 2025, the company will use conversations you’ve had with its chatbot to personalize ads across Facebook, Instagram and other Meta apps. This means that if you ask Meta AI about the best running shoes, don’t be surprised if those running shoes and running apparel show up in your feed later.
How it works
According to a report from The Wall Street Journal, Meta will begin scanning conversations you have with its AI assistant and feeding that data into its ad-targeting systems.
There are a few caveats; only chats that happen after December 16 will be used and conversations about sensitive topics like religion, politics, sexual orientation, health or ethnicity are excluded.
The rollout won’t apply in the UK, EU or South Korea, where regulators have stricter data privacy rules.
Unfortunately, users won’t be able to fully opt out, though you can adjust broader ad preferences.
Why Meta is doing this
As you may know, Meta’s ad business is its primary revenue driver, and the company has been investing billions in AI. Using chatbot conversations gives Meta a new, rich signal about what you’re interested in beyond what you click or like. If you talk about it, it's fair game for ads.
The move also lines up with Meta’s broader push to automate advertising with AI. The company is aiming to let brands generate complete ad campaigns by 2026 using nothing more than a product image and budget.
Critics raise red flags
Not everyone is on board with this new direction. Privacy advocates have long argued that AI chat data is deeply personal, and using it for ads could cross a line.
Actor and tech critic Joseph Gordon-Levitt recently warned in a New York Times opinion video that Meta’s AI chatbot poses particular risks for children, arguing that AI assistants can subtly manipulate emotions or blur the lines between guidance and persuasion. How this new initiative will affect ads, especially for minors on Meta's sites, is yet to be determined.
And while Meta says it won’t use sensitive topics, kids often mix personal questions with everyday chatter. That could make it hard to separate harmless prompts from ones that expose vulnerabilities.
What this means for you
Meta says it will begin notifying users of the change on October 7, giving people a couple of months to prepare. In the meantime:
- Review your ad settings in Facebook and Instagram. You can’t stop Meta from using chat data, but you can limit some personalization.
- Think before you type. If a conversation feels too personal, consider whether you want it in Meta’s ad pipeline.
- Watch for labels. Keep an eye out for how Meta communicates when your chats have been used to shape ads.
Meta turning AI chats into ad signals marks a major shift in how the company uses your data. While the change could make ads more relevant, it also raises big questions about privacy, transparency and how much influence AI might have — especially over kids.
Follow Tom's Guide on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button!
