 "Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg holds a pair of the touch controllers for the Oculus Rift virtual reality headsets on stage during the Facebook F8 conference in San Francisco, California. Photo: Reuters")
Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg recently stated that the company intends to incorporate generative AI features into all of its products and platforms. There are numerous features in development, ranging from chatbots to artificial intelligence-based photo editing tools.
For a long time, Meta has remained in the shadows when it comes to the use of AI and similar tools. However, with the soaring success of ChatGPT and other AI platforms, the company behind Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram is also planning to enter the domain.
Meta's AI plans
On June 8, 2023, top company executives held an all-hands meeting to provide employees with an overview of the major AI-related developments brewing at Meta.
One of the first changes is likely to be made to Instagram, which will soon allow users to edit their photos using text prompts. These images could then be re-shared on Stories.
Whatsapp and Messenger are also set to get AI chatbot "agents" with different personas. Earlier this week, an early version of a similar concept was tested on Instagram. It alluded to the possibility that the app could have up to 30 different "personalities."
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In a statement to Axios, Zuckerberg said, “In the last year, we’ve seen some really incredible breakthroughs — qualitative breakthroughs — on generative AI and that gives us the opportunity to now go take that technology, push it forward, and build it into every single one of our products.”
What does this mean for the future of Meta?
These are a step towards Zuckerberg's vision of expanding his company's presence in the metaverse, rather than a replacement for Meta's focus there. In February 2023, efforts in this direction had already begun.
At a time when competitors like Microsoft, Google, and Snapchat have rushed to implement AI features, Meta appears to be taking its time. While these demonstrations point the way forward, no specific date for their release or how users will be able to try them has been announced.
