Instagram recently unveiled “AI Studio,” a new feature that allows content creators to develop custom AI chatbots. Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, personally announced the new feature, noting that it is currently being tested in the United States. During the testing period, Zuckerberg explained that users may start to see AI chatbots from their favorite creators and AIs based on their interests. At the moment, these chatbots will be visible primarily in messaging conversations and will be clearly identified as AI.
Zuckerberg shared some video demonstrations of conversations with these chatbots created by content creators. By visiting a creator’s profile on Instagram, users will be able to start a conversation by clicking the “Message” button. A notification at the top of the chat will inform you that messages are generated by AI and warn that some may be inaccurate or inappropriate. Meta has decided to put the “AI” sticker in front of the creator’s name and, at least for now, a “beta” label after the person’s name. “We worked closely with creators to develop these AIs so they can answer their followers’ questions and interact in fun and helpful ways,” Zuckerberg said. “We’re just getting started and this is the first beta version, so we’ll continue working to improve them and make them available to more people in the future.”
In a recent interview, Zuckerberg elaborated on the company’s strategy for AI. He said, “We believe people want to interact with multiple individuals and companies, and that we need to create multiple different AIs to reflect people’s interests.” Meta plans to allow creators and, in the future, even small businesses to “build their own AI” to interact with their communities and customers. “We think that will provide a much more engaging and dynamic experience than having one AI that everyone uses.” Zuckerberg also said Meta will allow users to create AI characters that don’t necessarily represent themselves.
