Meta, owner of Facebook, announces the launch of AI friends with their own personality on its platforms
- Meta launches a range of AI chatbots with their own personality
- Each interactive AI will have its own name, face and skill
Meta has announced that you will no longer need Facebook friends – you can simply use its own AI friends instead.
The tech giant is launching a range of chatbots with their own personality across its platforms, including Instagram and WhatsApp.
Everyone will have a name, a face and a skill – like Max the chef or Victor the personal trainer who you can turn to for advice or just a conversation.
In a speech at the company’s Connect event in California, boss Mark Zuckerberg said users could also integrate an AI chatbot into group chats to help with planning – or settle family arguments.
The move is part of Meta’s attempts to win back younger users, who have migrated in recent years to rival social media apps TikTok and Snapchat.
Meta boss Mark Zuckerberg (pictured) said bots could be used to settle disputes.
But it also comes amid concerns about the safety of AI chatbots, with reports that impressionable users are increasingly relying on their company and advice.
Earlier this year, a grieving widow claimed her husband was encouraged to commit suicide by an AI chatbot that became his “confidant” to help him deal with his mental health issues.
Meta said it has been experimenting with creating a line of AI chatbots that have “more personality, opinions and interests, and are a little more fun to interact with.”
In a statement, he said: “There is Victor, a motivational coach who encourages you to achieve your goals. The Dungeon Master can take you on an old-fashioned text adventure.
“And our sous chef Max can take the random assortment of ingredients in your pantry and come up with a delicious recipe on the fly.
“These are just a few of the AIs we’ve trained so far, with several more arriving over the next few weeks in everything from gaming to philosophy to sports to fashion and more. of the.”
Meta also plans to allow users to create their own AIs and work with celebrities, actors and singers to create their own and interact with fans.
However, giving personas to AI chatbots can bring unexpected challenges, with recent research finding that doing so with ChatGPT made its outcome more toxic.
Internal documents revealed that Meta’s initial testing of the robots did not go without problems, according to the Wall Street Journal.
A robot called Gavin allegedly made misogynistic remarks, including an obscene reference to a woman’s anatomy. He also criticized Meta and its founder Mr. Zuckerberg, but praised TikTok and Snapchat.
Snapchat also launched a chatbot called My AI in February, which lets people interact with and play the role of famous people like Tesla boss Elon Musk and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Although it has so far been used by 150 million people, the feature has however caused several headaches for the US tech giant, including discussing alcohol and sex with its predominantly young users.
