Meta announced a host of new AI powered bots, features and products to be introduced across the family of Apps and devices. The aim is to enhance our connection through creativity and more expressive products with each other. These new features would be first available in the United States catering to English population. They would be available on messenger apps such as Instagram, WhatsApp,Facebook etc.
The new features have a range of diverse utilities from an automated assistant to image editing – harnessing the power of generative Artificial intelligence.
The announcements came as a part of Meta’s annual Connect conference where the company also announced its mixed reality headset,and release of smart glasses in partnership with Ray-Ban.
Image credit: Meta
AI GENERATED STICKER
Meta announced new stickers which enables users to customise their stickers for chats and stories.This will be coming to Meta’s messaging Apps.
The feature is powered by its foundational model for image generation Emu ,it allows users to create unique stickers in a few moments.
To use the sticker you could just type in the text box exactly what kind of image you want to see. The feature will be available for English language users initially and will begin to roll out over the next month, according to the company sources.
AI ASSISTANT MADE BY META
This new feature is akin to ChatGPT. Meta’s AI assistant is programmed to give you real time information and generate photo realistic images.It is designed to generate services including planning a trip and answering a General knowledge question. It is built using Llama 2.
Llama 2 is a large language model designed to generate texts and codes in response to prompts, Llama 3 is planned to be coming out in 2024.By creating specialised datasets anchored in natural conversation,the conversation could be created as friendly and conversational.It would be available on messenger apps and is coming to Ray-Ban .
EDITING DONE RIGHT
Image credit: Meta
Two new Instagram features will allow users to transform or co-create images by AI.These are called Restyle and Backdrop .These features rely on technology from Emu. The images created through them would indicate that AIs have been used.
Restyle lets users imagine the visual styles they describe,while the Backdrop feature let’s users change their background.
THE UNIVERSE OF CHARACTERS ON OUR FINGERTIPS
Meta has launched 28 more AIs in beta, with unique interests and personalities.Some are played by cultural icons and influencers including Snoop Dogg, Tom Brody, Kendall Jenner and Naomi Osaka.
Meta wants interaction with the AI to be like chatting with actual familiar people.So the characters would be having background information on their social media profiles.
FUTURE ENDEAVOURS
Over a period of time,the company will be making AI studios for businesses and releasing it for all the people so that they could develop and build their own AIs.This will help them in increasing their virtual presence and improve better customer service.The use cases Meta envisions are primarily e-commerce and customer service . These services are to be sanctioned by the creators and controlled by them.
In the coming years Meta aims to build a sandbox so that anyone is able to create what they want through generative AI. This will help people as they can create their own solutions and would not have to be stuck with whatever product the company is making.
Artificial intelligence is still in its early stages of development and these experiences would also come with a new set of challenges for the technology industry.The company aims to roll out new AIs slowly with much deliberation . It becomes imperative that the features are built in safeguards.
