Meta has silenced the quirky gaggle of AI celebrity doppelgangers on Instagram and Facebook less than a year after CEO Mark Zuckerberg unveiled them at a gala event - and before Brits even got a chance to use them.
Powered by the tech firm’s ChatGPT-style large language models, which are among the fastest and most powerful around, the chatbots were a splashy way to launch Meta’s big AI push. The project was endorsed by Kendall Jenner, Snoop Dogg and Tom Brady, among other big names, some of whom were reportedly paid millions for their AI likenesses.
Like fellow tech giants Google and Microsoft, Meta is integrating generative AI into its consumer products. There’s a newfangled digital assistant for Instagram, WhatsApp and Facebook, emoji generators, and automated ad creation for its lucrative digital advertising business.
However, Meta’s plans have hit a massive snag. Some users recently cried foul after discovering there was no opt-out clause in the firm’s new AI data-collection policy. Meanwhile, regulators have balked at the AI’s rollout in the UK and Europe, prompting Meta to delay its introduction across the pond.
After its latest setback, the company says it’s now focused on getting more people to make DIY chatbots, starting with creators. Earlier this week, Meta released an AI Studio tool aimed at influencers and other online celebs which lets them create chatbots of themselves. So, the next time you message a blue tick on Instagram, you could be chatting to an AI.
“You can no longer interact with AI characters embodied by celebrities,” Meta spokesperson Liz Sweeney told The Verge.
They added: “We took a lot of learnings from building them and Meta AI to understand how people can use AIs to connect and create in unique ways. AI Studio is an evolution, creating a space for anyone including people, creators and celebrities to create their own AI.”
This isn’t the first celebrity-sanctioned misfire from Meta - the same company that has also burned through billions to convince us to live in VR.
Back when it was still called Facebook, the social media titan reportedly struck $50 million worth of deals with A-listers like Gordon Ramsay and NFL quarterback Russell Wilson to create live videos. Alas, Twitch and YouTube users didn’t even bat an eye.
