Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, on Wednesday unveiled a slew of new features for its AI assistant, Meta AI, aiming to position it as the world’s most widely-used AI assistant by the end of the year.
Zuckerberg made these announcements during the company’s Meta Connect 2024 alongside some new product announcements such as the Meta Quest 3S, Ray-Ban Meta glasses and Orion, Meta’s first Augmented Reality (AR) glasses.
The Meta CEO highlighted the rapid growth of Meta AI, stating that “Meta AI is on track to being the most used AI assistant by the end of this year. In fact, it is probably already there.” We’re almost at 500 million monthly actives and we haven’t even launched in some of the bigger countries yet. So we’re getting there,” Zuckerberg said.
Zuckerberg: Meta AI to become most used AI assistant by year-end
One of the most exciting announcements was the introduction of AI Studio, which the Meta CEO describes as a platform for creators to make their own AIs to engage with their communities. This tool will enable creators to personalize their AI assistants, tailoring them to their specific needs and preferences. An example is the live Demo with Don Allen Stevenson III, a creator who trained his creator AI as his digital assistant. This digital assistant, he said, can send DMs and share links to resources. The AI can answer frequently asked questions (FAQs) and you can have it trained on how it responds.
The Meta CEO highlighted the rapid growth of Meta AI, stating that “Meta AI is on track to being the most used AI assistant by the end of this year. In fact, it is probably already there.” We’re almost at 500 million monthly actives and we haven’t even launched in some of the bigger countries yet. So we’re getting there,” Zuckerberg said.
Another significant announcement was the introduction of voice capabilities for Meta AI. This will enable users to have natural conversations with the assistant on Messenger, Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram. Meta AI can provide answers to questions, explain complex topics, or even tell a joke. Users can also choose from various voice options, including those of celebrities like Awkwafina and Dame Judi Dench. Zuckerberg believes that voice is going to be more natural in interacting with AI rather than text.
Another update is in enhanced photo interactions. According to its makers, Meta AI now understands and interacts with photos shared in chats. Users can ask questions about images, such as identifying objects or requesting recipes for dishes depicted. Additionally, Meta AI can edit photos, adding or removing elements or changing backgrounds.
Meta’s generative AI ad tools continue to see strong adoption, with over a million advertisers using them and 15 million ads created in the past month. These tools have been shown to improve ad performance, with campaigns using them resulting in higher click-through rates and conversion rates, according to the technology company.
For creators, Meta AI is introducing a translation tool that automatically translates the audio of Reels. This feature will help creators reach a wider audience by making their content accessible to viewers who speak different languages. Meta AI will also simulate the speaker’s voice in the translated language and sync their lips to match.
Meta AI’s Imagine features have been also expanded, allowing users to create personalized avatars or images in their feed, Stories, and profile pictures. Users can share these AI-generated images with friends and family.
Meta AI can now suggest personalized chat themes for Messenger and Instagram DMs,based on users’ preferences. This feature allows users to create unique and customised chat experiences.
There is also AI-Generated content, Meta said is being experimented to generate content for users’ feeds based on their interests and preferences. Users can interact with this suggested content, providing feedback or requesting new suggestions.
Meta is expanding its business AIs to help businesses better serve their customers. Thousands of businesses using click-to-message ads on WhatsApp and Messenger can now set up AI-powered assistants to handle customer inquiries, provide support, and facilitate commerce.
Meta’s generative AI ad tools continue to see strong adoption, with over a million advertisers using them and 15 million ads created in the past month. These tools have been shown to improve ad performance, with campaigns using them resulting in higher click-through rates and conversion rates, according to the technology company.
Meta AI is also being used to enhance user privacy and safety. For example, Meta AI can help detect and remove harmful content, protect users from scams, and ensure that users’ data are kept secure.
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