Meta is getting ready to introduce a generative AI chatbot intended at younger users that will be termed “Gen AI Personas” internally, The Wall Street Journal reported.
Following ChatGPT’s rise over the past year as one of the fastest-growing apps ever, the many “personas” aimed at enticing youthful users with more colourful behaviour.
A “sassy robot” identity modelled after Bender from Futurama and an overly inquisitive “Alvin the Alien” was tested by the company, according to internal discussions the Journal reviewed. One employee was concerned that these personas might imply the bot was designed to obtain personal information.
According to the Journal, Meta intends to build “dozens” of these chatbots and has even worked on a technology that will let celebrities build their own chatbots for their followers.
There might also be some that are more focused on productivity and able to assist with “coding and other tasks,” according to the article.
According to Meghana Dhar, a former executive at Snap and Instagram, chatbots don’t “scream Gen Z to me, but definitely Gen Z is much more comfortable” with newer technologies, The Journal reports.
As with all new products, she continued, Meta’s objective with the chatbots is to maintain their interest for a longer period of time so that it will have “increased opportunity to serve them ads.”