Caught in the Loop: My Struggle to Prove I’m Not a Robot to a Robotic System

For the past week, I’ve been grappling with an ironic and deeply frustrating situation: trying to convince a robotic system that I am not a robot. This wasn’t some philosophical thought experiment—it was the reality of attempting to recover my 17-year-old Facebook account after it was abruptly suspended.

It started when I commented on an old photo album I’d uploaded years ago. Moments later, I was locked out. A suspension alert appeared, claiming I had violated Facebook’s Community Standards. Confused, I followed the platform’s appeal process, hoping for a resolution. But instead, I found myself at a dead end: after completing an AI-driven video verification process, my appeal was immediately rejected, and my account was permanently disabled. A “screen of death” message coldly informed me that there would be no further opportunity to appeal.

I was still hopeful. After all, Facebook is a global leader in technology and social connectivity—surely there was a way to explain my situation to a human. I explored every avenue I could think of:

• I reported the account as potentially hacked, believing this might open a recovery channel.
• I contacted Facebook’s email addresses for appeals ([email protected] and [email protected]) and even reached out to Mark Zuckerberg himself.
• I used Facebook’s Help and Support pages, filled out feedback forms, and sought advice on external platforms.
• I even asked trusted friends with verified Facebook accounts to report the issue on my behalf.

But no matter what I did, I hit the same roadblock: a faceless, automated system that left no room for nuance or understanding. There was no email, no phone number, and no way to talk to a human. Each attempt to appeal resulted in the same mechanical response: “Your account is permanently disabled. No further action can be taken.”

Why I use Facebook

While Facebook is often seen as a platform for connecting with friends and family, I also relied on it for professional networking. Over the years, I’ve worked in various organizations across different countries, sharing exciting and meaningful experiences with incredible colleagues. Many of these professional relationships deepened into lasting friendships. We shared challenges, celebrated successes, and learned from each other.

In regions where Facebook is used more frequently than LinkedIn for professional connections, the platform became a natural way to stay in touch with those colleagues who became close friends. It wasn’t just a social media account—it was a bridge to a global network of people who have been a part of my personal and professional journey. Losing access to it felt like losing an archive of shared experiences, memories, and a means of staying connected with those who matter most.

Keeping Humans in the Loop

As a longtime advocate for AI and its potential to enhance our lives, this experience shook me. I’ve always believed in AI’s ability to improve processes, eliminate repetitive tasks, and assist humans in making informed decisions. However, this situation highlighted a glaring flaw: Facebook’s over-reliance on AI in critical processes like account suspension and recovery.

An AI system lacks three essential abilities that this situation required: emotion, empathy, and understanding. These are qualities that only a human can bring to the table, and they are especially crucial when dealing with cases that deeply affect people’s personal or professional lives.

For me, this account wasn’t just a social media profile. It was a repository of 17 years of memories, friendships, and professional connections. Losing it felt like losing a part of my history. While I’ve created a new Facebook account and am slowly rebuilding my network, the process has been painful—not just because of the loss, but because of the realization that there is no human safety net to turn to.

This experience raises an important question: Where do we draw the line between AI-driven automation and human involvement? I’m not against AI—I’ve spent years fostering its adoption in areas like learning, information curation, and streamlining repetitive tasks. But removing humans entirely from the loop in processes like this creates unnecessary frustration and alienates users, even those like me who are strong proponents of AI.

We’re living in an age of transition where AI is evolving rapidly. It holds incredible potential, but we need to be mindful about how and where we deploy it. Automated systems can’t yet replace human judgment in areas that require empathy, flexibility, and an understanding of context. Striking the right balance between automation and human involvement will be critical for ensuring AI’s success and acceptance.

In today’s world, social platforms like Facebook have become such integral parts of our lives that, in many places, being disabled or removed from them can leave a person feeling completely lost or unseen. This experience has been a stark reminder of how fragile our digital connections can be and how important it is to rebuild and maintain them. To my professional network, if you were connected with me on my old Facebook account, please feel free to reach out to me on my new profile (new profile link - before they disable me again).

As for Facebook, I hope this serves as a call to action to rethink its approach and for others as well. AI should empower and support users, not leave them stranded.

Facebook Mark Zuckerberg

#keephumansloop #ethicalAI #diabaledinfacebook