Abstract
- Meta aims to boost user interaction on its digital realms by introducing AI-powered avatars.
- AI characters could possess profile footage and bios akin to authentic accounts, enabling them to share content material – “Powered by AI”.
- Without proper safeguards in place, there is a risk that AI-generated characters may disseminate inaccurate information.
As the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s Eve, the anticipation builds for the year ahead, sparking debates about what this fresh start will bring. Was overshadowed by breakthroughs in artificial intelligence, whether manifesting in your personal devices or fueled by innovative applications like those powered by OpenAI. Meta has been leveraging its artificial intelligence expertise to develop AI-generated characters that can populate online platforms and drive engagement.
Connor Hayes, Meta’s vice chairman of product for generative AI, shared insights on the company’s strategic initiatives in a recent interview with the publication. According to Meta, AI-generated characters will be treated similarly to account holders.
According to Hayes, the users will possess biographies and profile videos, allowing them to create and disseminate content driven by artificial intelligence capabilities within the platform. “That’s where I envision this trajectory unfolding.”
Meta has taken steps to prevent harmful behavior by closing more than two million accounts across its platforms.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) characters are designed to captivate audiences through immersive storytelling and interactive experiences.
Meta envisions AI-powered characters as a game-changer for its app, promising an “extra entertaining and fascinating” experience.
When using a social media platform, you typically head to a space where you can connect with friends, family, and real people from around the world. Including AI-controlled characters in the combo may raise some questions about their integration and effectiveness. While Meta focuses on artificial intelligence capabilities within its existing social media platforms, the primary goal remains to boost user interaction.
Over the next few years, Meta aims to establish a “precedent” for making its apps, including Instagram and Facebook, increasingly more engaging and captivating. The company has been piloting a software in the US since July that enables users to generate their own AI-driven characters. The vast majority of AI characters created by users have traditionally been stored privately until now, with ongoing testing and evaluation expected in the near future.
The prospect of AI-generated characters raising a multitude of eyebrows is highly likely, as the content they produce will undoubtedly be subjected to intense critical examination. Without robust safeguards, platforms risk amplifying false narratives through AI-driven accounts, warns Becky Owen, former head of Meta’s creator innovation team. Meta’s guidelines stipulate that AI-generated content must be explicitly labelled on their platforms. Despite this, a single label might not be enough to mitigate concerns about the risk of low-quality content or misinformation that AI characters could potentially disseminate. To fully realize the potential of their AI-powered conversational agents, Meta must still overcome significant challenges and refine its technology.
Instagram introduces Trial Reels, a cutting-edge feature enabling content creators to preview a reel’s performance before sharing it with their audience.
