Meta has launched a tool called AI Studio that will let users build virtual versions of themselves.
Users will be able to create their own chatbot with custom personalities, traits and even interests that mirror their own.
The tool will initially be rolled out to Instagram Business account owners but then made available to all Meta users across the US in the following weeks.
Built using Meta’s own Open Source large language model, Llama 3.1, it can be accessed online and through Instagram where there is a “Create an AI chat” option. “From there, you can customize your AI character’s name, personality, tone, avatar and tagline”, says Meta.
Creative License for AI Personalities
“Anyone can create their own AI designed to make you laugh, generate memes, give travel advice and so much more. Creators can also make an AI as an extension of themselves to answer common DM questions and story replies, helping them reach more people”, states the Meta team.
Meta has provided templates to kick off creativity but there are also a crowd of chatbots already created to inspire. Chef Marc Murphy has made an AI chatbot that offers personalized tips for embracing local dining customs while you’re traveling called Eat Like You Live There! Meme creator Assistants vs. Agents has made an AI character called Sammy The Stress Ball to “help you get through your stressful work day”.
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Meta Issues Guidelines on AI Use
For creators, says Meta, the tool could be a powerful way to reach more fans, with the chatbots able to answer common questions or reply in stories. Meta adds: “Creators can customize their AI based on things like their Instagram content, topics to avoid and links they want it to share. Through the professional dashboard in the Instagram app, creators can turn auto-replies on and off, and even decide who their AI replies to. Responses from creator AIs are clearly labeled, so there’s full transparency for fans.”
Meta warns in the AI Studio usage policy that users can only create an AI version of themselves and also rules out “objects that could be considered hateful, explicit or illegal.” Meta says the policies will “…keep people safe and help ensure AIs are used responsibly, so that chatting with AIs remains fun and helpful.”
A Year in the Offing
News of the alpha release of AI Studio hit headlines nearly a year ago after it was announced at the annual Meta Connect developer conference. TechCrunch reported at the time that Mark Zuckerberg said that the Meta team was expecting the use cases to be primarily e-commerce and customer support. A statement detailed that it would allow businesses to “…create AIs that reflect their brand’s values and improve customer service experiences.”
At the time, the Meta team teased that more was to come, promising a sandbox tool would be released in the coming year “…enabling anyone to experiment with creating their own AI”. It added: “As our universe of AIs continues to grow and evolve, we’ll bring this sandbox to the metaverse, giving you the chance to build AIs that adopt an even greater level of realism, embodiment, and connectedness.”
The Meta team also experimented with a range of AI chatbots last September, that were based on real celebrities including Snoop Dogg and Kendall Jenner. These failed to gain fans and have now been “retired”.
The new option to create personalised chatbots should get more attention, especially from creators desperate to reach out to more fans but limited by time and resources.
Creators will have to keep an eye on their digital counterparts though as AI chatbots aren’t without their biases and could say things that their flesh and blood owners definitely wouldn’t.
