In an internal meeting, CEO Mark Zuckerberg has shone a spotlight on the company’s significant investments in artificial intelligence as Meta restructures to incorporate new AI tech.
This renewed focus on AI comes at a critical juncture for Meta, a company that has grappled with financial difficulties and identity issues in recent times. Its perceived over-emphasis on its metaverse vision, at the expense of AI development, has drawn criticism from its investors.
Messenger chatbot and WhatsApp chatbot – coming soon
The discussions covered a range of new initiatives, including AI-driven chatbots designed for Messenger and WhatsApp, capable of interacting through various personalities. Another highlight was the unveiling of novel features for Instagram, such as the capability to alter user images using text instructions and crafting unique emoji stickers for its messaging platform.
The company’s shift towards AI mirrors the strategy of its industry rivals like Google, Microsoft, and Snapchat, all of whom have enjoyed investor interest for their own AI-driven consumer products. In contrast, Meta is yet to make its mark in the sphere of consumer-oriented generative AI.
To bridge this divide, Meta is restructuring its AI departments and channeling substantial resources into infrastructural developments to cater to the needs of its AI products.
Zuckerberg showcased a positive outlook at the meeting, attributing the possibility of integrating AI into “every single” Meta product to recent advancements in generative AI. This statement signals Meta’s plan to incorporate AI across all its services, encompassing Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.
Beyond products for the general public, Meta has also introduced a staff-oriented productivity assistant named Metamate, capable of responding to inquiries and executing tasks based on internal company data.
Furthermore, Meta is venturing into open-source solutions, enabling users to construct their own AI-based chatbots and applications. Despite the company’s optimism, critics and competitors warn of the potential misuse of these tools, which can propagate disinformation and offensive content on a wider scale.
Addressing these apprehensions, Zuckerberg highlighted the importance of democratizing AI access and expressed his wish for users to be capable of creating AI applications independently in the future, without being dependent on the frameworks offered by a handful of tech giants.
While stressing on the renewed focus on AI, Zuckerberg assured the staff that Meta’s Metaverse aspirations wouldn’t be sidelined, indicating that both AI and the Metaverse will continue to be the company’s focal points.
The outcome of these initiatives will reveal whether Meta can close the gap with its rivals and secure its standing among the titans of the ever-evolving tech industry.