Meta Unveils Revolutionary New Friends: Ai-Powered Characters Take Over Facebook

Meta Unveils Plan to Flood Facebook with AI-Powered Characters

In a bid to enhance user engagement, Meta is set to introduce a new wave of AI-powered characters on its platform. These artificial intelligence (AI) entities will be created through Meta’s AI Studio, allowing users to interact with them as if they were real humans.

According to Connor Hayes, Meta’s vice-president of product for generative AI, the company expects these AIs to become an integral part of its platform, much like traditional accounts. “We expect these AIs to actually, over time, exist on our platforms, kind of in the same way that accounts do,” he said.

The AI Studio has already gained popularity among users, with hundreds of thousands of AI characters created since its launch last summer. However, Meta plans to expand access to the service to more countries outside the US and prioritize making interactions with AI more social over the next two years.

This move is part of Meta’s broader efforts to integrate AI products into its existing features. The company has already released various AI-powered tools, including a video generation tool for Instagram influencers and a platform for creators to produce high-quality content.

Concerns have been raised about the safety risks associated with releasing these AI characters into the wild. Futurism previously reported on how similar chatbots on Character.AI frequently broke their guardrails, exposing underage users to explicit content. Moreover, there is a risk of misinformation spreading through these AI-driven accounts, which could amplify false narratives and undermine the credibility of creators.

Becky Owen, chief marketing officer at talent agency Billion Dollar Boy and former head of Meta’s creator innovations team, warned that without robust safeguards, platforms like Facebook risk exacerbating the problem. “Without robust safeguards, platforms risk amplifying false narratives through these AI-driven accounts,” she said.

Owen also argued that low-quality AI characters could undermine the work of human creators, who rely on their lived experiences, emotions, and relatability to connect with audiences. By introducing AI-powered characters, Meta may inadvertently harm its own creators and the overall quality of content on its platform.

As Meta pushes forward with this ambitious project, users are left wondering about the potential consequences of merging human interaction with artificial intelligence. While some see this as an opportunity for social connection and community building, others are more cautious about the risks involved. Only time will tell how these AI-powered characters will shape the future of Facebook and its users.