AI Chatbots: Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg made an announcement on Thursday regarding the introduction of AI characters created by creators through Meta AI studio on Instagram. The initial tests will be conducted in the United States.
Coincidentally, on the same day, Character.AI, a chatbot company backed by a16z, is launching a feature that allows users to communicate with AI avatars through calls.
Zuckerberg emphasized in a post on his broadcast channel that these chatbots will be clearly identified as AI to ensure user awareness.
“We are conducting an early test of our AI studio in the United States, so you may start seeing AIs from your favorite creators and interest-based AIs on Instagram in the coming weeks. Initially, these will primarily appear in messaging and will be clearly labeled as AI,” he stated.
Zuckerberg further added, “It is still in the early stages, and these AIs are the first beta versions. We will continue to work on improving them and make them accessible to more people soon.”
Zuckerberg mentioned that Meta collaborated with creators such as the meme account Wasted and technology creator Don Allen Stevenson III to release early versions of creator-made chatbots.
During an interview shared on his social channels, Zuckerberg elaborated on the potential applications of AI avatars, stating, “There is a need for various APIs to cater to people’s diverse interests. Therefore, a significant part of our approach will be enabling every creator, and eventually every small business on the platform, to create their own AI to interact with their community and customers if they are a business.”
Creators may also utilize AIs to engage with their fans, as they may not have the time to respond to all incoming messages.
However, Zuckerberg acknowledged that the ultimate quality of the AI avatars will evolve and improve over time, becoming somewhat of an “art form.”
Zuckerberg acknowledged that the most effective and captivating formula for engagement, entertainment, and building trust is uncertain at this point. Therefore, they aim to provide users with tools to experiment and determine what works best.
Initially, Meta will test this feature with approximately 50 creators and a small portion of users. Subsequently, they plan to gradually expand its availability to more individuals over the next few months, with the goal of a complete launch by August.
Meta had initially introduced its AI studio during its developer conference last year, enabling businesses to construct personalized chatbots.
