Meta has announced new features for its generative artificial intelligence assistant, Meta AI, at its annual Meta Connect conference, which takes place on September 25 and 26. This chatbot, which is available on platforms such as WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook, will now feature the voices of John Cena, Kristen Bell and Awkwafina, reports Reuters. These improvements to the AI assistant include enhanced multilingual and logic capabilities thanks to the Llama 3.1 model. The new voice features will be available first in the US to compete with other giants such as OpenAI and Google.
The announcement marks a new step in the integration of artificial intelligence into the platforms of Zuckerberg's company, which has already experimented with virtual characters based on celebrities in the past - without much success. This time, however, the voices of well-known actors could offer a more engaging and natural experience for users and provide strong competition for other AI assistants such as ChatGPT and Bard.
Meta has worked with celebrities before. This new approach with recognizable voices is intended to give the chatbot a more human touch and provide users with a more engaging and personal interactive experience. The company had already experimented with text versions of celebrities such as Paris Hilton and Snoop Dogg in 2023, but the new voice features could be a major breakthrough.
A step forward
The AI assistant is already available in some countries and in several languages thanks to the integration of the Llama 3.1 language model. With this development, Meta can compete more directly with other AI giants such as OpenAI, Microsoft and Google, which have also launched advanced chatbots on the market.
In recent years, Meta has already integrated artificial intelligence technologies into its platforms, but the new features announced at Meta Connect are aimed at improving the user experience and enabling greater personalization when interacting with applications.
Features
On WhatsApp, one of Meta's key platforms, users can already send voice notes to Meta AI, allowing for a more seamless and natural interaction. This feature, along with celebrity voices, aims to make interaction with the assistant more dynamic. In addition, Meta has stated that these features will initially be introduced in English-speaking markets and will be rolled out to other territories depending on their success.
Meta is not only focusing on conversational AI, but has also announced advances in its augmented reality products, such as the new Ray-Ban glasses. This shows that the company is continuing to focus on the convergence between AI, wearables and social networks.
Meta has been working on this project for several years. The interest in incorporating the voices of prominent actors is aimed at further humanizing AI and offering an interaction that does not feel purely mechanical or automated. However, it remains to be seen whether this strategy will resonate with users, as previous experiments with celebrity-inspired characters have not met with much approval.
