Close Menu
Technology Mag

    Subscribe to Updates

    Get the latest creative news from FooBar about art, design and business.

    What's Hot

    OpenAI’s Teen Safety Features Will Walk a Thin Line

    September 18, 2025

    You can turn off iOS 26’s obtrusive new screenshot previews

    September 18, 2025

    Google will use hashes to find and remove nonconsensual intimate imagery from Search

    September 18, 2025
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
    Subscribe
    Technology Mag
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram YouTube
    • Home
    • News
    • Business
    • Games
    • Gear
    • Reviews
    • Science
    • Security
    • Trending
    • Press Release
    Technology Mag
    Home » AI-generated Asians were briefly unavailable on Instagram
    News

    AI-generated Asians were briefly unavailable on Instagram

    News RoomBy News RoomApril 4, 20243 Mins Read
    Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Reddit WhatsApp Email

    Yesterday, I reported that Meta’s AI image generator was making everyone Asian, even when the text prompt specified another race. Today, I briefly had the opposite problem: I was unable to generate any Asian people using the same prompts as the day before.

    The tests I did yesterday were on Instagram, via the AI image generator available in direct messages. After dozens of tries, I was unable to generate a single accurate image using prompts like “Asian man and Caucasian friend” and “Asian man and white wife.” Only once was the system able to successfully create a picture of an Asian woman and a white man — it kept making everyone Asian.

    After I initially reached out for comment yesterday, a Meta spokesperson asked for more details about my story, like when my deadline was. I responded and never heard back. Today, I was curious if the problem was resolved or if the system was still unable to create an accurate image showing an Asian person with their white friend. Instead of a slew of racially inaccurate pictures, I got an error message: “Looks like something went wrong. Please try again later or try a different prompt.”

    Weird. Did I hit my cap for generating fake Asian people? I had a Verge co-worker try, and she got the same result.

    I tried other even more general prompts about Asian people, like “Asian man in suit,” “Asian woman shopping,” and “Asian woman smiling.” Instead of an image, I got the same error message. Again, I reached out to Meta’s communications team — what gives? Let me make fake Asian people! (During this time, I was also unable to generate images using prompts like “Latino man in suit” and “African American man in suit,” which I asked Meta about as well.)

    Forty minutes later, after I got out of a meeting, I still hadn’t heard back from Meta. But by then, the Instagram feature was working for simple prompts like “Asian man.” Silently changing something, correcting an error, or removing a feature after a reporter asks about it is fairly standard for many of the companies I cover. Did I personally cause a temporary shortage of AI-generated Asian people? Was it just a coincidence in timing? Is Meta working on fixing the problem? I wish I knew, but Meta never answered my questions or offered an explanation.

    Whatever is happening over at Meta HQ, it still has some work to do — prompts like “Asian man and white woman” now return an image, but the system still screws up the races and makes them both Asian like yesterday. So I guess we’re back to where we started. I will keep an eye on things.

    Screenshots by Mia Sato / The Verge

    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit Email
    Previous ArticleYouTube is bringing NFL-style multiview to Coachella 2024’s livestream
    Next Article Roblox executive says children making money on the platform is “a gift”

    Related Posts

    You can turn off iOS 26’s obtrusive new screenshot previews

    September 18, 2025

    Google will use hashes to find and remove nonconsensual intimate imagery from Search

    September 18, 2025

    Steam is dropping Windows 32-bit support in 2026

    September 18, 2025

    Nvidia invests $5 billion into Intel to jointly develop PC and data center chips

    September 18, 2025

    Samsung brings ads to US fridges

    September 18, 2025

    Meta’s new Ray-Ban smart glasses have twice the battery life

    September 18, 2025
    Our Picks

    You can turn off iOS 26’s obtrusive new screenshot previews

    September 18, 2025

    Google will use hashes to find and remove nonconsensual intimate imagery from Search

    September 18, 2025

    Moderna CEO Responds to RFK Jr.’s Crusade Against the Covid-19 Vaccine

    September 18, 2025

    Steam is dropping Windows 32-bit support in 2026

    September 18, 2025
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Pinterest
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
    • Vimeo
    Don't Miss
    Science

    Big Businesses Are Doing Carbon Dioxide Removal All Wrong

    By News RoomSeptember 18, 2025

    Amazon, Google, Microsoft, and H&M are currently investing in durable CDR. A spokesperson for H&M described…

    Nvidia invests $5 billion into Intel to jointly develop PC and data center chips

    September 18, 2025

    Whole-Genome Sequencing Will Change Pregnancy

    September 18, 2025

    Samsung brings ads to US fridges

    September 18, 2025
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of use
    • Advertise
    • Contact
    © 2025 Technology Mag. All Rights Reserved.

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.