Meta begins testing user-created AI chatbots on Instagram

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced on Thursday that the company will start testing user-created AI chatbots on Instagram in the U.S. through its Meta AI studio.

These AI characters, developed by creators, will be marked clearly as AI and initially appear in messaging.

The announcement coincides with Character.AI's new feature that allows users to talk with AI avatars over calls. Zuckerberg highlighted that the early versions of these chatbots are being developed in collaboration with creators like Wasted and Don Allen Stevenson III.

The initiative aims to allow creators and small businesses to interact with their communities and customers through custom AI, enhancing engagement and response capabilities. Meta plans to test the feature with around 50 creators and a small percentage of users, with a full launch expected by August.

Meta first introduced its AI studio at last year's developer conference to enable businesses to build custom chatbots.