Meta Unveils AI Features Across Apps, Including Stickers and Assistants

Meta has announced a series of new AI experiences across its family of apps and devices, including Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger at its Meta Connect event on Wednesday.

The announcements included features like AI stickers, advanced image editing tools, and a new conversational assistant named Meta AI. Sadly for Canadians, this Meta AI will launch first in the USA.

“AI is enabling new forms of connection and expression, thanks to the power of generative technologies,” said the company, with CEO Mark Zuckerberg on stage in front of a live audience.

AI Stickers and Image Editing

Meta is rolling out AI stickers that allow users to generate customized stickers for chats and stories. The feature will be available to select English-language users over the next month across WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram, and Facebook Stories.

Additionally, new image editing tools ‘Restyle’ and ‘Backdrop’ will soon be available on Instagram, enabling users to transform images using AI technology. We can’t wait to give this a try, it’s actually pretty awesome from the demos.

Meta AI Conversational Assistant

Meta AI, a new conversational assistant, will be available in beta on WhatsApp, Messenger, and Instagram. It will also be integrated into Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses and Quest 3. Currently available only in the U.S., Meta AI can provide real-time information and generate photorealistic images based on text prompts.

AI Personalities Featuring Cultural Icons

Alongside Meta AI, the company is launching 28 more AIs in beta, each with unique interests and personalities. Some of these AIs are portrayed by cultural icons and influencers such as Snoop Dogg, Tom Brady, Kendall Jenner, and Naomi Osaka.

The full list of AIs are listed below—the demos shown at Meta Connect were actually pretty cool to see:

• Charli D’Amelio as Coco, Dance enthusiast
• Chris Paul as Perry, Pro golfer helping you perfect your stroke
• Dwyane Wade as Victor, Ironman triathlete motivating you to be your best self
• Izzy Adesanya as Luiz, Showy MMA prospect who can back up his trash talk
• Kendall Jenner as Billie, No-BS, ride-or-die companion
• LaurDIY as Dylan, Quirky DIY and Craft expert and companion for Gen Z
• MrBeast as Zach, The big brother who will roast you — because he cares
• Naomi Osaka as Tamika, Anime-obsessed Sailor Senshi in training
• Paris Hilton as Amber, Detective partner for solving whodunnits
• Raven Ross as Angie, Workout class queen who balances fitness with meditation
• Roy Choi as Max, Seasoned sous chef for culinary tips and tricks
• Sam Kerr as Sally, Free-spirited friend who’ll tell you when to take a deep breath
• Snoop Dogg as Dungeon Master, Choose your own adventure with the Dungeon Master
• Tom Brady as Bru, Wisecracking sports debater who pulls no punches

Zuckerberg showed a live demo with Snoop Dogg, the Dungeon Master, showing a choose your own adventure type interaction. The Meta CEO was able to type responses and the Snoop Dogg AI was able to understand what the next step would be. Pretty neat stuff.

Meta has also unveiled its AI Studio, a platform initially designed for internal AI development, with plans to open it up to the public. The platform will be accessible to both coders and non-coders, allowing for the creation of third-party AIs that can integrate with Meta’s messaging services.

“Developers will soon be able to build third-party AIs for our messaging services, starting with Messenger and later expanding to WhatsApp,” said the company.

Businesses can also leverage the AI Studio to create AIs that align with their brand values and enhance customer service. The platform aims to serve businesses of all sizes, from small enterprises looking to scale to large brands aiming to improve communication. Meta plans to launch this feature in alpha and scale it further next year.

Creators will have the opportunity to build AIs that extend their virtual presence across Meta’s suite of apps. These AIs will be directly controlled by the creators themselves and must be sanctioned by them.

Meta is also in the process of developing a sandbox environment set to be released next year. This will allow individuals to experiment with creating their own AIs. As the company’s universe of AIs continues to evolve, this sandbox will eventually be integrated into the metaverse, offering enhanced levels of realism and interactivity for AI creations.