Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, is reportedly planning to introduce AI-powered “personas” in its services as early as next month, according to the Financial Times. These chatbots would come with distinct personalities, such as a surfer or even Abraham Lincoln, offering users a new way to search, get recommendations, and interact with the platforms.
The introduction of these AI-powered personas could serve two purposes for Meta. Firstly, it could help boost engagement with its services, such as Facebook and Instagram, in the face of competition from platforms like TikTok. By providing users with personalized and interactive experiences through chatbots, Meta aims to keep users engaged and entertained.
Secondly, the launch of these personas would showcase Meta’s AI capabilities and position the company in the competitive AI landscape. With Microsoft-backed OpenAI and Google’s Bard as major players in the AI field, Meta hopes to demonstrate its own AI advancements through the development and deployment of chatbots with unique personalities.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has been vocal about his plans to integrate AI personas into the company’s products. In February, he announced the creation of a new product group focused on generative AI. In a post, Zuckerberg mentioned the exploration of AI experiences with text, images, and video across various platforms like WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram, and more.
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The existence of the AI personas within Meta’s services was first uncovered by app researcher Alessandro Paluzzi in early June. He spotted signs of a new “Chat with an AI” feature in the Instagram app, allowing users to interact with chatbots in the style of 30 different AI personalities. The chatbots would provide answers to questions, offer advice, and even assist users in composing messages.
Zuckerberg reaffirmed Meta’s commitment to AI during an earnings call, stating that the company is leveraging its LLaMA large language model to develop the chatbots. He expressed the potential for AI to enhance user experiences in Meta’s apps, facilitating connections, enabling creative content sharing, assisting in interactions with businesses and creators, and more. Further details about Meta’s AI roadmap are expected to be revealed at the upcoming Connect developer event in September.
While Zuckerberg has emphasized the benefits of AI personas for users, there is also potential for Meta to gather more data on users’ interests through these chatbots, aiding in more targeted advertising. Snap, a rival social media company, has recently tested sponsored links in its ChatGPT-powered My AI chatbot as a means to generate revenue.
At the time of writing, Meta has not responded to requests for comment on this development. However, by introducing AI-powered personas, Meta aims to increase user engagement, showcase its AI capabilities, and potentially leverage the data obtained to enhance its advertising strategy. As the launch approaches, users can anticipate exciting new ways to interact with the Facebook and Instagram platforms.
