A trailblazer in the world of social media, Meta, is reportedly gearing up to introduce AI-facilitated 'personas' into several of its platforms that include Instagram and Facebook. Anticipated to be released as early as the following month, these personas are designed to offer users a fresh way to search, get suggestions, and interact with the social media giant's products, according to the Financial Times.
Insiders shared with the FT that the chatbots may have unique personalities, such as a persona that provides travel tips in a surfer's style. Another could mirror the speaking style of historical figure Abraham Lincoln. This move is said to augment Meta’s standing in the highly competitive digital space.
The launch of these built-in chatbots unlocks significant advantages for Meta. It could not only heighten engagement with services like Instagram and Facebook, giving them an edge over platforms such as TikTok but also showcase Meta’s AI prowess as the company locks horns with notable players like OpenAI, backed by Microsoft, and Google’s Bard.
CEO Mark Zuckerberg has been transparent about his intentions to incorporate 'AI personas' into the company's offerings. In February of this year, he revealed plans on setting up a new product department centered on generative AI.
He said, 'Over the longer term, we’ll focus on developing AI personas that can help people in a variety of ways.' Zuckerberg stated that Meta is exploring experiences across different mediums - text, images, and multi-modal experiences, including creative Instagram filters and ad patterns.
A revelation was made by app investigator Alessandro Paluzzi, who encountered signs of an 'AI Chat' feature in Instagram. This chatbot was touted to answer queries and provide advice in the style of 30 different AI entities. The leak also suggested that the persona could aid users in framing messages.
In a recent earnings announcement, Zuckerberg emphasized their AI initiatives, including the development of a large language model known as LLaMA. As part of Meta’s future plans, it aims to use AI to assist people in connecting and expressing themselves better in their apps. The CEO expects that AI can facilitate creative tools that can simplify and augment content sharing, acting as coaches or assisting in the interaction with businesses and creators.
Though Zuckerberg’s remarks underscore chatbots' potential benefits to Meta’s users, the Financial Times has conjectured that this feature could provide the company with further data on their users' interests, contributing to more precise ad targeting. More details on Meta’s AI strategy will be unveiled at its Connect developer event this September.
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