Meta to launch Facebook & Instagram AI chatbots sooner than expected

Facebook and Instagram owner, Meta, is supposedly looking to fast-forward its AI integration into the platforms according to a new report.

The monolith, Meta, is planning to launch its own series of chatbots powered by AI as soon as next month, according to The Financial Times.

Meta is now ramping up its plans to bring AI to its two biggest platforms. The chatbots, or “personas” will reportedly take on a character that you then interact with.

According to the report, Meta is planning to use the likeness of historical figures like Abraham Lincoln, or themed ones around holidays “in the style of a surfer”.

Clearly looking at the landscape, AI is a hot topic and Meta wants to capitalize on that. The company could launch the AI bots sometime in September, which is far sooner than expected.

The AI bots will act as a search feature and find recommendations based on your requirements. It’s also expected to be a “fun product”, with interactivity being the draw.

Meta to launch its own AI chatbots in new attempt to retain users

Zuckerberg’s company has been looking for new methods to bring in and retain users. It ultimately failed in doing so with the metaverse, which has reportedly lost $21 billion since Meta launched the software.

Meta has faced multiple struggles in the last few years, as the competition proves to be more popular. TikTok’s vertical videos and content directly inspired Reels, while Snapchat’s stories also influenced Instagram’s. These new AI bots are another stab at keeping users on their platforms.

Snapchat did launch its own AI bot in the last few months, which is designed for similar purposes to Meta’s.

Meta has officially entered the AI race by launching Llama 2, its own competitor to things like ChatGPT and Google Bard. The AI model has been made open source and is freely available to download and start using.