Meta's Plan to Unleash AI Bot Profiles in its Apps Could Actually ...
If you thought that 2024 was a big year for social platforms pushing AI elements into their apps, you ain’t seen nothing yet, with Meta looking to bring even more AI to your feeds over the next year.
How is it going to do that? Well, aside from injecting AI chatbots into every aspect that it can, Meta’s next plan is to deploy millions of generative AI characters and have them pose as actual users on Facebook and Instagram.
What Meta Plans for AI Profiles
According to Connor Hayes, Meta’s VP of product for gen AI, soon, there’ll be a whole range of new AI profiles activated within its apps. Hayes stated, “We expect these AIs to actually, over time, exist on our platforms, kind of in the same way that accounts do. They’ll have bios and profile pictures and be able to generate and share content powered by AI on the platform.”
In an interview back in August, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg explained that “Every part of what we do is going to get changed in some way [by AI]. [For example] feeds are going to go from - you know, it was already friend content, and now it’s largely creators. In the future, a lot of it is going to be AI generated.”
Meta hired app developer Michael Sayman, who had created an app called Social.ai, which enables users to interact with millions of AI bots, each with their own personality and focus.
The Impact of AI Profiles
The pathway seems clear, with Meta looking to incorporate elements of Social.ai into its core social experiences, showcasing the evolving capacity of its AI models and providing new ways to engage within its apps.
The reaction online has been against the integration of more bots in social apps. But will it work? If Meta unleashes millions of AI profiles on Facebook and Instagram, could that actually boost app usage and engagement?
Take, for example, the recent backlash on Threads regarding the difficulty users face in growing their following in the app. On Bluesky, which enables users to default to the “Following” feed, many creators have claimed that it’s easier to gain followers and build an audience, compared to other platforms.
Growing a following is difficult on modern social media platforms, where algorithms focus on engagement and showing similar content. Meta aims to keep users happy by potentially launching AI bots to follow profiles related to their focus.
The Future of AI Engagement
If Meta launches AI bots that engage with users by asking questions, providing responses, and giving encouragement, will users overlook the fact that it's artificial engagement?
Many users may welcome the engagement, even if it's not genuine. The practical value of having AI bots as a sounding board could provide alternative considerations to user updates.
With considerations for influencers, brands will need to be discerning in their collaborations to ensure value. Despite potential backlash, Meta's strategy of incorporating AI profiles could lead to increased engagement and user satisfaction.
In conclusion, while more bot accounts in social apps may not seem ideal, the boost in engagement could outweigh other concerns. If the numbers go up, users may prioritize engagement over authenticity.
