Meta has been working on it for a while, and today marks the launch of the first stage of its “AI Studio” platform. This new feature will allow creators on Instagram to build AI versions of themselves that can interact with fans via direct messages.

Currently in beta and limited testing with selected creators, Meta’s custom AI bots will be able to answer questions in the style of the account holder. These AI bots will be identified with a stars icon on the message tab, indicating that the responses are generated by a bot. Additionally, there are disclaimer notes in the chat to clarify that users are engaging with an AI bot, not the actual person or account holder.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced the launch during an interview with YouTuber Kane Sutter, where he also touched on Meta’s broader AI plans. Zuckerberg’s comments were generally broad-reaching, hinting at future AI updates like improved translation and hologram-like projections of real people in virtual reality. However, the main announcement was the live testing of AI Studio with selected Instagram creators in the U.S.

According to Zuckerberg, AI Studio will enable creators to build AI versions of themselves to interact with their community. This process, which was recently uncovered by app researcher Alessandro Paluzzi, will be integrated into Instagram and provide various prompts and tools to generate these AI bot variations. The primary use case, as described by Zuckerberg, is to answer fact-based queries. The more challenging aspect will be generating creative responses that replicate the style of the creator. Creators will have the freedom to train their bots on different aspects of their social media presence, allowing them to create more life-like replicas of themselves.

Despite this, Meta is cautious about not misleading users into thinking they are interacting with the real person. Zuckerberg mentioned that they are still refining the AI disclosure elements, but there are several signifiers in place to indicate that the responses are from a bot.

Sutter raised a critical point during his interview with Zuckerberg, expressing concerns about eroding the genuine connection between creators and their audiences. Zuckerberg downplayed these concerns, but the issue remains: does it add value to have AI bots that simulate real humans, especially on platforms designed for authentic interaction?

This development seems to deviate from the core purpose of social media, potentially turning it into a space where bots interact with bots, sidelining real human engagement in favor of automation. Users have long complained about bots and inauthentic interactions on social apps. So why is Meta now promoting this shift, effectively replacing humans with bots?

Zuckerberg argues that the advanced technology makes these AI interactions more convincing and valuable. However, it still feels like an odd direction for Meta to take. Is there truly a demand for AI versions of celebrities and influencers? Will this enhance the user experience?

Zuckerberg also mentioned that, eventually, users will be able to create their own user-generated content (UGC) AI characters, capable of interacting with others in various styles. Yet, the question remains: is there actual demand for this? Will it add meaningful value?

Meta’s initial experiments with celebrity-influenced bots didn’t seem to gain much traction, but the company is pushing forward, aiming to increase bot engagement in the platform. Only time will tell if this new direction will resonate with users or if it will further blur the lines of genuine social interaction.