Meta previews consumer AI tools, from chatbots to photo editors to “stickers”

Facebook and Instagram parent Meta internally unveiled several AI features that will soon be offered to users, various sources reported on June 8.

Meta unveils new consumer AI tools

Axios said on June 8 that CEO Mark Zuckerberg and other executives announced the features during an all-staff meeting. One tool under development allows users to input and modify Instagram photos with an AI text prompt. Another tool features “AI agents,” or chatbots that offer assistance to entertainment in Messenger and WhatsApp.

Separate reports from The Verge suggest that users will be able to generate stickers through AI text prompts, separate from the image editing feature.

Yet another report from TechCrunch adds that Facebook is developing internal tools such as staff productivity assistants — referred to by other sources as “Metamate” — and experimental interfaces for interacting with AI agents.

Both Axios and TechCrunch said that the company is hosting an internal hackathon in July focused on generative AI (or AI that can generate digital content).

Mark Zuckerberg also said that the firm will contribute AI research and technology to the open-source community, according to Axios’ report.

Announcements represent a shift for Meta

Until now, Meta has largely focused on internal AI development. The company described how AI drives content discovery and monetization during an investor call in April. It then released new details about its in-house AI chip development in May 2023.

However, the company began to unveil non-internal AI applications that same month when it announced generative AI tools targeted at advertisers.

Meta’s AI efforts are also receiving pushback from regulators. Senators raised concerns about the company’s LLaMA language model on June 6. They stated that the company failed to prevent the system from responding to illegal or dangerous requests.

Meta’s cryptocurrency pursuits have been largely abandoned since its newfound focus on AI. The company discontinued both its Diem cryptocurrency and Novi wallet in 2022, and it also announced the end of its NFT pursuits in March 2023.

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