But were you hoping bots on social media were a thing of the past? Think again. Facebook’s parent company Meta is preparing to bombard its platform with AI generated characters in the quest to increase user engagement as part of a wider AI driven roll out, the Financial Times reports.
Users then create the AI personas using Meta’s AI Studio, a platform for interaction with these faux dudes and dudettes as though they were actual men and women. Meta’s vice president of product for generative AI, Connor Hayes, told the FT, “We expect these AIs to actually over time exist on our platforms, in the same sense we expect accounts to do.”
On these profiles, these AI characters will have bios and profile pics, and they’ll be able to create and share content. Meta’s AI Studio is comprised of hundreds of thousands of such characters, many are virtual companions, Hayes added. The company will aim to bring AI Studio to more people around the world around and make social interaction with AI more natural.
Meta isn’t done with fictional characters. Facebook and Instagram influencers can now make AI versions of themselves for their followers to interact with. It’s the latest in a series of AI innovations, like SnapChat’s own AI video generation tools.
However, releasing AI characters come at a wide cost in terms of safety and ethics. Examples like Character.AI have already demonstrated to us that chatbots can break guardrails and expose users (especially minors) to inappropriate content. For one, these AI accounts could further spread misinformation.
“In the absence of solid safeguards, platforms stand the chance of advancing false narratives through these AI-powered accounts,” says Becky Owen, who used to lead Meta’s creator innovations team.
Others argue that that AI personas are less authentic than the human creators of the craft, and that could be a problem for critics. “This isn’t like human creators, who have suffered from depression or faced difficult situations, or the ability to be relatable like humans,” Owen added.
