U.S. tech giant Meta is preparing to launch multiple chatbots powered by artificial intelligence (AI) as early as September. According to an article quoting knowledgeable sources, the company seeks to encourage user engagement on its social media platforms with the chatbots that could also be used to collect more user data.

Meta Seeks to Seize on Chatbot Hype, Challenge Competitors With ‘AI Agents’

Meta, the owner of Facebook and Instagram, is gearing up to present in the next few weeks a number of AI-based chatbots designed to exhibit different personalities, the Financial Times wrote this week, quoting people familiar with the tech conglomerate’s plans.

The company has been designing prototypes that can take the form of different characters and have discussions with the 4 billion users of its social media platforms, according to the sources, who also revealed that the chatbots have been dubbed “personas.”

For example, Meta explored creating one that emulates Abraham Lincoln and another that advises on travel options in the style of a surfer. The chatbots, which will support a new search function and offer recommendations, could launch as soon as September, according to one of the quoted individuals.

FT noted that the move comes as the company seeks to attract and retain users in the face of a stiff competition from platforms like Tiktok. Apparently, Meta also tries to seize upon the hype around AI that spread since the launch of Openai’s Chatgpt in November, 2022.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said during an earnings call last Wednesday that he envisaged AI “agents that act as assistants, coaches or that can help you interact with businesses and creators.” He believes they can help companies with customer service or to increase staff productivity. He stated:

We don’t think that there’s going to be one single AI that people interact with.

“Zuckerberg is spending all his energy and time on ideating about this,” one of the persons that spoke with the Financial Times unveiled. He also said that in the longer term developing an avatar chatbot in the metaverse would be explored.

Others in this space have already launched chatbots that feature personalities. Andreessen Horowitz-backed start-up Character.ai, for instance, uses AI technology to generate conversations in the style of Elon Musk or Nintendo character Mario.

Besides boosting engagement, Meta’s chatbots could be employed to collect more data on users’ interests, the article points out. And with most of the company’s $117 billion in revenues coming from advertising, they can help it to better target users with more relevant content and advertising. That, however, raises privacy concerns, the authors note.

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