New Delhi: Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that the company will start testing AI characters created by users through Meta AI Studio on Instagram. These initial tests will begin in the U.S. around the same time that a16z-backed Character.AI launched a feature allowing users to talk to AI avatars over calls.
In a message on his broadcast channel, Zuckerberg said these chatbots will be clearly marked as AI so users know what they’re interacting with. He explained, “We’re starting an early test in the U.S. with our AI studio, so you might see AIs from your favorite creators and interest-based AIs on Instagram in the next few weeks. These will mostly appear in messaging for now and will be clearly labeled as AI.”
Zuckerberg mentioned that this is just the first beta version, and there will be more improvements before it’s available to everyone. He said they are working with creators like the meme account Wasted and tech creator Don Allen Stevenson III for the initial launch of these AI chatbots.
In an interview shared on his social channels, Zuckerberg talked more about the potential uses for AI avatars. He stressed the need for different APIs to cater to various interests, allowing creators and small businesses to make AI that interacts with their communities and customers. He noted that creators might use AIs to engage with fans better, as they can’t respond to all messages personally.
Zuckerberg admitted that the best way to make AI avatars engaging and trustworthy will change over time, becoming an “art form.” He said, “We don’t yet know what will be the most engaging, entertaining, and trust-building formula for this. So we want to provide tools for experimentation to see what works best.”
Meta plans to initially test the feature with around 50 creators and a small group of users, aiming to expand it over the next few months and fully launch by August. The AI studio was first announced at Meta’s developer conference last year to help businesses build custom chatbots.
