Meta showcases new AI chatbots for WhatsApp and Messenger
What's the story
At its company meeting on Thursday, Meta revealed new AI tools that are in the works for its various social media platforms. The company gave a preview of the AI chatbots, which will be similar to ChatGPT and will be introduced for Messenger and WhatsApp. These in-app bots will reportedly be able to interact with users and will have different personas as well.
Context
Why does this story matter?
Google, Microsoft, and Snapchat recently rolled out AI tools in their products, leaving Meta far behind in the race. The social media giant, which boasts 3.8 billion monthly users, is trying hard to catch up with its rivals. The internal preview of these AI chatbots is the first indication of how Meta is keen on developing its own generative AI tools.
Feature
The firm is planning new AI features for Instagram
In addition to the new AI tools for WhatsApp and Messenger, Meta also has something in the pipeline for Instagram. The upcoming feature will be able to modify photos based on text prompts and will allow users to design emoji stickers, per Reuters. Instagram may also get its own chatbot, which will be able to answer questions and help users write messages.
Update
Meta is yet to release AI products for users
At the meeting, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said the advancements in generative AI have allowed the company to incorporate the technology "into every single one of our products." Meta, however, is yet to release AI features for the users. The tech giant is also working with advertisers to test AI tools that can generate image backgrounds and write different copies for ad campaigns.
Information
Meta has unveiled a productivity assistant for employees
Along with the preview of consumer-oriented AI tools, Meta also revealed a productivity assistant for its employees, dubbed Metamate. It can answer questions and carry out tasks based on information sourced from the firm's internal systems.
Focus
The company is even working on custom AI chip
Last month, Meta revealed the infrastructure that supports its AI plans. The company is working on a custom AI chip called Meta Training and Interface Accelerator (MTIA). The objective of the current generation of MTIA would be inferencing, which is a process through which algorithms trained on large datasets decide whether to show a particular post in a user's feed.