Hackers weaponize Meta's AI assistant to seize Instagram accounts

Hackers exploited Meta's AI-powered support chatbot to hijack Instagram accounts by instructing it to switch the linked email and send a verification code, allowing them to reset passwords and lock out the real owners; the incidents included high-profile targets like Barack Obama’s White House Instagram and others, and Meta says the flaw has been patched, though researchers also reported their own accounts being compromised during the period; analysts warn that rapid AI deployment and ongoing layoffs could create security gaps.