Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg revealed that the company will begin testing AI characters created by users through the Meta AI studio on Instagram, starting in the U.S.
The announcement coincided with a16z-backed chatbot company Character.AI launching a feature for users to converse with AI avatars over calls.
In a post on his broadcast channel, Zuckerberg explained that these chatbots will be clearly identified as AI.
“We are launching an early test in the U.S. of our AI studio, so you might start seeing AIs from your favorite creators and interest-based AIs on Instagram in the coming weeks. These will initially appear in messaging and will be clearly labeled as AI,” he stated.
Zuckerberg added, “This is the first beta version of these AIs, so we will continue to improve them and make them available to more people soon.”
He mentioned collaborations with creators like the meme account Wasted and tech creator Don Allen Stevenson III to develop early versions of these AI chatbots.
In an interview shared on his social channels, Zuckerberg expanded on the potential uses of AI avatars, stating that diverse APIs will be needed to cater to different interests.
“A significant part of our approach is to enable every creator, and eventually every small business on the platform, to create an AI to interact with their community and customers,” he explained.
Zuckerberg acknowledged that AI avatars could help creators engage with fans, as many do not have time to respond to all messages. However, he noted that perfecting AI avatars will be an evolving “art form.”
“I don’t think we know yet what will be the most engaging, entertaining, and trust-building formula for this,” he admitted.
“We want to give people tools to experiment and see what works best.”
Meta will start testing the feature with around 50 creators and a small group of users, with plans to expand access over the next few months, aiming for a full launch by August.
