Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp parent company Meta is expanding a new feature that allows influencers to create artificial intelligence-powered duplicates of themselves or favorite characters that people can DM at any time.
Meta is releasing this function as part of a new free feature called AI Studio, which it first announced last fall and has been slowly testing with popular Instagrammers. Meta says its goal is to help online fans more easily connect with their favorite celebrities and online personalities. At the same time, Meta says its AI can help content creators keep up with messages from eager fans.
"With AI Studio, Instagram creators can set up an AI as an extension of themselves that can quickly answer common DM questions and story replies," Meta said in a statement, adding that creators can customize their AI based on their Instagram content, and give it instructions on topics to avoid and specific links they'd prefer to share. "Whether it's sharing facts about themselves or linking to their favorite brands and past videos, creator AIs can help creators reach more people and fans get responses faster."
Meta's expansion into creator-powered AIs comes as more and more people are utilizing chatbot apps. People are creating and using these AIs to roleplay conversations with all manner of personalities, from historical figures like the Leonardo da Vinci to characters inspired by JRR Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings or Marvel's X-Men.
The characters are created using data collected from around the internet, built into complex technologies called large language models. These LLMs have been used to power everything from Open AI's ChatGPT to Googles Gemini technology to, now, Meta's characters feature.
Though impressive, these technologies are controversial. Some people debate how the data powering these AIs is gathered, and whether artists and writers are being appropriately compensated for the work that makes these features possible. Actors have expressed concern about whether AI might be used to replace them in movies, TV shows and video games.
For its part, Meta appears to be taking a slower approach with its character AI chatbots.
Last year, the company worked with celebrities, including rapper Snoop Dogg and former NFL star Tom Brady, to create AI personalities people could message with across Facebook and Instagram. The characters ranged from a Dungeons & Dragons enthusiast to a sports fanatic ready to debate pretty much anything.
Now, it's offering similar tools to some creators across its platforms. Though AI Studio is free to use, Meta says it's currently only available in the US, and hasn't provided details about planned expansion.
Meta says it built transparency into its AI, making it clear in chats that users are talking to an AI and not a human being.
For example, Meta worked with podcast host and comedian Violet Benson to create an AI. If you visit her Instagram profile and send her a message, Meta will warn you that her AI responded to you, with a warning message, "Violetta Elaia Benson has AI auto replies turned on. Some messages generated by AI may be inaccurate or inappropriate"
Meta also appends "AI" above every message the chatbot sends.
When the program was asked whether the AI was the real Violet Benson, it responded that it was indeed an AI, "here to chat with you just like she would."
To try Meta's chatbots, visit ai.meta.com/ai-studio/, where you must log in with your Instagram ID in order to create a character.
If Meta has granted you access to its test, you should see a button on the left side that says "Create AI." Once that's clicked, Meta will then present you with ideas, or ask you to describe what your AI is and does.
Once Meta has created an approximation of your AI, it asks you to add a name, a tagline and pick an image.
Meta will then "prepare your AI," after which it will present you with a screen identifying what the AI knows and what it does.
Some existing AIs include Molly, an AI to help you stand out on social media, Trashcan Terry who offers "terrible advice" and "guaranteed laughs." , and a personified folding chair, "here to support you -- literally!"
To create a Meta chatbot based on your profile, visit ai.meta.com/ai-studio/, where you must log in with your Instagram ID.
If Meta has granted you access to its test, you should see a button that says "Create AI." Once clicked, Meta will then present you with customization options, such as to have the AI learn from your posts, reels, comments, current stories, archived stories and Threads posts.
You can also tell Meta whether you want this chatbot visible and able to respond to anyone, or followers you don't follow back, or only specific people.
