Hackers trick Meta AI to steal celebrity Instagrams

A new cybersecurity risk emerged recently when hackers used Meta’s AI-powered support chatbot to take over the Instagram accounts of several high-profile figures.

The affected profiles include Barack Obama’s White House account, beauty retailer Sephora, and US Space Force chief master sergeant John Bentivegna. The Obama account had been inactive since 2017.

Videos on Telegram and X revealed the exploit. Attackers used a VPN to spoof the owner’s location and bypass safeguards. They then instructed Meta’s AI assistant to link a new email to the target account. The chatbot sent a code to the new email, and once the hacker entered those numbers, the bot provided a password reset button.

The stolen Instagram handles were reportedly listed for sale on Telegram later.

Meta and Instagram said they have fixed the issue, and impacted accounts are being secured. It remains unclear exactly how many users were affected.

Worrying sign
The breach raises serious questions about AI safety, especially as Meta aggressively integrates the technology.

Under CEO Mark Zuckerberg, the company will be spending $145 billion this year on AI infrastructure. He has even envisioned a future where AI chatbots can replace human therapists.