Meta Platforms has created a new AI team dedicated to enhancing the experience of its social media services.
Mark Zuckerberg recently announced that a new team at Meta Platforms (NASDAQ: META) is developing artificial intelligence (AI) products for Instagram and WhatsApp. Zuckerberg said this newly-created product group would focus on generative artificial intelligence. Generative AI is a new set of techniques that permit computers to replicate human output across various forms of media. This includes generating texts and drawing pictures.
Referring to the product agenda by the new Meta AI group as “creative and expressive,” Zuckerberg explained:
“We’re exploring experiences with text (like chat in Messenger and WhatsApp), with images (like creative Instagram filters and ad formats), and with video and multi-modal experiences. We have a lot of foundational work to do before getting to the really futuristic experiences, but I’m excited about all of the new things we’ll build along the way.”
In a Facebook post, Zuckerberg also revealed that the AI team would combine several units across Meta.
“We’re starting by pulling together a lot of the teams working on generative AI across the company into one unit focused on building delightful experiences around this technology into all of our different products,” wrote he.
Meta’s current Chief Product Officer, Chris Cox, would organize and supervise the new AI unit.
Meta also announced its own new large language model, LLaMA, last week. According to the social media corporation, the distinguishing features of LLaMA are its availability and relatively low cost.
Formation of New Meta AI Team Comes amid Other Prevalent Chatbot Endeavors within Tech Space
Meta’s social media-focused AI development comes amid broader efforts by big tech companies to advance AI use cases. Several prominent tech platforms and well-backed startups currently look to grow machine learning techniques and integrate AI into their products and services. For instance, Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) has incorporated large language models created by OpenAI into its Bing chatbot. In addition, the computer software giant also previously invested huge sums into the wildly popular OpenAI chatbot, ChatGPT.
Google LLC (NASDAQ: GOOGL) is also working on a chatbot called Bard that rivals ChatGPT. In addition to staking its claim in the AI-as-an-online-service space, Google also plans to improve user experience with Bard. Speaking on Bard’s functionality earlier this month, CEO Sundar Pichai said:
“Bard seeks to combine the breadth of the world’s knowledge with the power, intelligence, and creativity of our large language models.”
Furthermore, Pichai touted Bard’s functionality scope as drawing on information across the web to provide fresh, high-quality responses.
Yesterday, camera and social media company Snap (NYSE: SNAP) announced plans to integrate an OpenAI-powered bot into its Snapchat app. According to Snap, the new chatbot, My AI, can recommend weekend plans, gift ideas, and recipes. My AI launches on Snapchat+ and offers fully customizable options to users.
Snap’s AI announcement follows the company’s weak revenue report for last year’s fourth quarter, released in early February.
In overseas China, tech corporations also seek to leverage chatbot popularity, with Tencent developing an AI-backed product.
Tolu is a cryptocurrency and blockchain enthusiast based in Lagos. He likes to demystify crypto stories to the bare basics so that anyone anywhere can understand without too much background knowledge.
When he’s not neck-deep in crypto stories, Tolu enjoys music, loves to sing and is an avid movie lover.
