Meta, the parent company of renowned social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram, has recently made headlines with its ambitious foray into digital content creation. Reports suggest that the tech giant is investing substantial amounts to collaborate with influential creators in the online content space.
During Meta’s recent Connect event, CEO Mark Zuckerberg unveiled an innovative initiative: AI assistants infused with the personalities of famous personalities. These AI assistants, featuring unique personas, are being created by capturing the likeness of various celebrities. For instance, a chatbot named “Billie,” representing a big sister figure and offering advice, features the likeness of Kendall Jenner. Another AI assistant, “Bru,” focused on sports-related debates showcased the likeness of Tom Brady.
As part of this groundbreaking endeavor, Meta has reportedly committed to paying a prominent creator up to an astonishing $5 million over a two-year period for a six-hour studio session. During this time, the creator’s likeness will be captured and used to develop an AI assistant. However, the specific recipient of this substantial compensation remains undisclosed.
Meta’s Ambitious Plans for AI Celebrity Avatars and Brand Safety
Meta’s keen interest in digital content creation is further demonstrated by their efforts to collaborate with influential content creators like MrBeast, known for being the most-subscribed individual on YouTube, and Charli D’Amelio, a notable star on the rapidly growing TikTok platform. Originally, Meta expressed a willingness to invest over $1 million to secure the rights to use the likenesses of these prominent stars. However, in their pursuit of partnerships within the digital content landscape, they ended up allocating even more substantial sums for these collaborations.
Currently, AI assistants primarily operate through text-based interactions. However, Meta, the parent company of Facebook, has unveiled plans to advance these assistants to have audio-visual representations of celebrities.
In a recent interview with The Verge, Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, emphasized the significance of developing AI versions of celebrities to meet a growing demand. He mentioned that this advancement is projected to become a reality in the near future, likely within the next year. However, he also acknowledged the importance of addressing brand safety concerns associated with the use of celebrities’ images and voices. Celebrities want assurance that their likeness won’t be used to convey objectionable or controversial statements.
In addition to AI assistants, Meta has introduced AI stickers as a feature. Nonetheless, this feature has faced criticism due to instances where users have generated unconventional or inappropriate images, such as depicting a child soldier or creating lewd imagery related to Justin Trudeau. These developments have sparked debates about the potential misuse and ethical implications of AI-generated content.
Celebrity-Enhanced AI Chatbots of Meta, Clear Strategy for Increased User Engagement”
It’s worth noting that Meta has not yet responded to a request for comment from Insider regarding these recent developments and criticisms surrounding their AI-powered features.
Chatbots have been designed with an emphasis on interactivity and engagement, aiming to offer users a diverse array of services ranging from advice and companionship to entertainment. Integrating celebrity likenesses into these chatbots is seen as a strategy to enhance user appeal and potentially attract a broader audience to Meta’s platforms.
Interestingly, Meta is not pioneering the use of celebrity likenesses in AI products. Other prominent companies like Samsung, with its Bixby AI assistant resembling Will Smith, and Amazon, featuring Alexa Chung’s likeness for the Echo Dot smart speaker, have already adopted this approach. This trend underlines the industry’s inclination towards leveraging recognizable figures to augment the allure of AI products.
The success of Meta’s AI chatbots remains to be seen, yet the substantial financial investments made by the company to secure celebrity likenesses underscore its commitment to this technology. This strategic move reflects Meta’s dedication to creating a captivating and engaging user experience, potentially opening new avenues in the ever-evolving landscape of artificial intelligence and consumer preferences.
