Meta Platforms has opted to cease its celebrity AI chatbot program. Part of Meta AI, the feature incorporated digital versions of celebrities such as Charli D’Amelio, MrBeast, and Paris Hilton, has come to a halt due to insufficient user engagement. The Information reports that Meta is now discontinuing the tool.
Launch and Objectives
Unveiled at Meta Connect 2023 by CEO Mark Zuckerberg, the AI chatbots aimed to use celebrity appeal to enhance Meta’s AI services. Despite the high-profile kick-off, these digital personalities did not attract the desired level of user interaction. I can’t say I am sad to see this feature goes away. It is the sort of tool that only enhances the spread of misinformation and is not even that much fun beyond a novelty.
User Response and Challenges
The bots, featuring alternate personas like Coco by Charli D’Amelio and Amber by Paris Hilton, failed to capture user interest. Analysts believe the unfamiliar concept or execution issues might have contributed to the lackluster response, illustrating the volatile nature of AI consumer products.
The discontinuation of the celebrity chatbots coincides with the rollout of AI Studio, a new platform enabling US creators to develop personalized AI chatbots. Meta spokesperson Liz Sweeney mentioned to The Verge that the company is now focusing on AI Studio, which offers a more creator-focused approach to AI-enabled interactions.
A Big Tech Trend that Needs to Die
That Big Tech companies are willing to offer AI solutions that essentially engage in deepfake activity is a worrying trend. Meta may be dropping out of this feature, but Google is ready to offer its own celebrity chatbots, an ElevenLabs is creepily using the voices of deceased stars – with permission form their estates – to narrate content.
While these tools seem harmless, the dangers of deepfake content driven by AI is a real one. We have already seen OpenAI come under fire for its Voice feature in ChatGPT. Unveiled during OpenAI’s Spring Update event in May 2024, the feature initially used a voice named Sky, which resembled Scarlett Johansson. Johansson objected, revealing she had declined to lend her voice for ChatGPT. OpenAI quickly canned the feature, made some tweaks, and is now rolling it out again.
Last Updated on November 7, 2024 3:27 pm CET