Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg revealed the scope of the company's AI investments during an internal meeting.
The conference included discussions about new products such as Messenger and a chatbot for WhatsApp that allow you to talk to different people. Additionally, Meta announced new features for Instagram, including the ability to change users' photos via text prompts and create emoji stickers for the messaging service.
These developments come at a critical time for Meta, as the company has faced financial troubles and an identity crisis in recent years. Investors criticized Meta for focusing too much on Metaverse's ambitions and not paying enough attention to AI.
Meta's decision to focus on AI tools follows in the footsteps of competitors such as Google, Microsoft, and Snapchat, whose generative AI products have attracted significant investor attention. Unlike its aforementioned rivals, Meta has yet to release a consumer-facing generative AI product.
To address this gap, Meta is reorganizing its AI division and making significant investments in infrastructure to support its AI product needs.
Zuckerberg expressed optimism in a company meeting, saying advances in generative AI have made it possible for Meta to incorporate the technology into “all” of its products. This shows his Meta intention to leverage his AI across platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.
In addition to consumer tools, Meta also announced a productivity assistant called Metamate for employees. This assistant is designed to answer queries and perform tasks based on internal information.
Meta is also exploring open source models that allow users to build their own AI-powered chatbots and technologies. But critics and competitors have raised concerns about the potential for abuse, as these tools could be used to spread misinformation and hate speech at scale.
Zuckerberg addressed these concerns during the meeting and emphasized the value of democratizing access to AI. He expressed hope that in the future, users will be able to develop their own AI programs without relying on frameworks provided by a few large technology companies.
Despite the increased focus on AI, Zuckerberg reassured employees that Meta has no intention of abandoning its Metaverse plans, and that both AI and the Metaverse remain key areas of focus for the company. He suggested that he continue.
The success of these efforts will determine Meta's ability to keep up with its competitors and solidify its position among technology leaders in a rapidly evolving environment.
(Photo credit: Maria Sharabayeva on Unsplash)
Related: Meta's open source voice AI model supports over 1,100 languages
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