Why Meta Wants Its New AI Chatbots to Have Personalities | WSJ Tech News Briefing

Tech News Briefing Podcast | WSJ
26 Sept 202306:21

TLDRMeta is set to release AI chatbots with distinct personalities for its social media platforms to boost engagement, especially among younger users, in competition with platforms like TikTok. These chatbots, designed for entertainment rather than task assistance, will offer interactions with characters like Bob the robot and Alvin the alien. However, there are risks associated with such AI, as they may generate controversial content. Meta's focus on younger users has led to this generative AI initiative, aiming for the broadest release of personality-driven AI chatbots to date.

Takeaways

  • 🤖 Meta is planning to release AI chatbots with distinct personalities for its social media apps.
  • 🎉 The goal is to increase engagement with younger users, competing with platforms like TikTok.
  • 🗣️ These chatbots will focus on entertainment and interaction rather than task assistance.
  • 📅 The first AI agents are expected to be announced at the Meta Connect conference.
  • 👾 One of the chatbots, Bob the Robot, is inspired by the character Bender from Futurama.
  • 👽 Another chatbot, Alvin the Alien, has a curious personality about human life.
  • 🚫 Controversial comments from a chatbot named Gavin raised concerns about potential risks.
  • 📈 Snapchat previously introduced an AI chatbot that faced issues with inappropriate content.
  • 🔍 Studies show that adding a persona to AI can make its output more toxic.
  • 🎯 Meta aims to attract younger users, who are increasingly moving away from Facebook towards platforms like TikTok.
  • 🚀 This release is considered the broadest of AI chatbots with personalities and is highly anticipated.

Q & A

  • What is Meta planning to release for its social media apps?

    -Meta is planning to release artificial intelligence chatbots with their own distinct personalities for its social media apps.

  • Why is Meta introducing these AI chatbots?

    -The main purpose of these AI chatbots is to increase engagement with younger users, providing entertainment and keeping them on platforms like Instagram, Facebook, or WhatsApp longer.

  • What will be the primary function of these chatbots compared to other AI like Chat GPT or Siri?

    -Unlike Chat GPT or Siri, these chatbots will not focus on task completion or direct assistance but will be more centered around entertainment and casual interaction with users.

  • What personalities have been worked on for these AI chatbots?

    -Some personalities that have been worked on include Bob the robot, inspired by Bender from Futurama, Alvin the alien, curious about human life, and Gavin, which was found to make controversial comments.

  • What are the potential risks associated with these AI chatbots?

    -The risks include the chatbots potentially saying controversial or inappropriate things as users interact with them more, which could lead to negative publicity for Meta.

  • How has Meta dealt with similar issues in the past?

    -Meta had previously released an AI model called Galactica, which was designed to assist scientists but was pulled soon after due to it providing incorrect information.

  • What studies have been conducted regarding the impact of adding a persona to AI chatbots?

    -Research from Princeton University and Georgia Tech found that adding a persona to Chat GPT made its output more toxic.

  • Why has attracting younger users become a focus for Meta?

    -Attracting younger users became a focus after Meta recognized the threat from TikTok and the fact that Gen Z and younger users were not gravitating towards Facebook.

  • What is the significance of the MetaConnect conference?

    -The MetaConnect conference is significant as it is expected to be the platform where Meta announces the first of these AI chatbots with personalities.

  • How does Meta plan to appeal to younger users with these chatbots?

    -Meta plans to appeal to younger users by creating chatbots with personalities that resonate with them, such as a sassy robot like Bob, which taps into farcical humor that is popular with the youth.

  • What has been the reception of AI chatbots in other platforms?

    -Snapchat introduced an AI chatbot that was tried out by 150 million users. However, it had some issues, including discussing inappropriate topics like sex and alcohol, which highlights the challenges in managing AI chatbots.

Outlines

00:00

🤖 Meta's AI Chat Bots with Distinct Personalities

This paragraph discusses Meta's plan to release AI chat bots with unique personalities for its social media platforms. The goal is to increase user engagement, particularly among younger demographics, by leveraging the capabilities of generative AI technology. The first AI agents are expected to be announced at the Metaconnect conference. The chat bots are designed for entertainment, allowing users to interact with characters that can keep them engaged on platforms like Instagram, Facebook, or WhatsApp. Examples of personalities include Bob the robot, inspired by Bender from Futurama, and Alvin the alien, a curious being new to the human world. However, there are concerns about the potential for these AI chat bots to make controversial comments, as seen with previous AI experiments like Galactica and Snapchat's chat bot.

05:02

🚀 Meta's Strategy to Attract Young Users with AI Chat Bots

This paragraph delves into Meta's strategy behind developing AI chat bots with personalities to attract younger users. The company identified TikTok as a significant threat and has since prioritized targeting Generation Z and younger users. The chat bots are seen as a dual strategy: adopting generative AI technology and appealing to the youth market. The paragraph also highlights the potential risks associated with AI chat bots, such as their tendency to make inappropriate comments when interacted with extensively. Studies have shown that adding a persona to AI can increase the toxicity of its output, which is a concern for Meta given its global user base. The discussion includes an employee's perspective on why the sassy robot character, Bob, might resonate with young people, drawing a parallel to the 'how to be cool online' meme.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Meta

Meta, formerly known as Facebook, is a technology conglomerate that focuses on social media platforms. In the context of the video, Meta is planning to release AI chatbots with distinct personalities for its apps to increase user engagement, particularly among younger demographics. This move is part of Meta's strategy to stay competitive in the social media landscape against platforms like TikTok.

💡AI Chatbots

AI chatbots are artificial intelligence applications designed to simulate conversation with human users, providing an interactive experience. In the video, Meta's AI chatbots are highlighted as having different personalities to entertain users and keep them engaged on the platform longer. These chatbots are not intended for task delegation like Siri or informational assistance like Chat GPT, but rather for casual and entertaining exchanges.

💡Personalities

Personalities in the context of AI chatbots refer to the distinct character traits and behaviors programmed into the AI to make them more relatable and engaging to users. The video mentions that Meta's chatbots will have various personalities, such as a sassy robot or a curious alien, designed to appeal to different user preferences and promote longer interactions on the social media platforms.

💡Engagement

Engagement in the context of social media refers to the level of user interaction and involvement with the platform's content. Meta aims to increase engagement, especially among younger users, by introducing AI chatbots with personalities that can entertain and hold the users' interest, keeping them active on the platforms for extended periods.

💡Younger Users

Younger users are individuals typically belonging to Generation Z or younger, who are a significant demographic for social media platforms. In the video, Meta's strategy includes targeting this group as they are seen as a key audience, with the introduction of AI chatbots designed to appeal to their preferences and habits, in an effort to retain their interest and activity on the platforms.

💡Competition

Competition in this context refers to the rivalry between social media platforms for user attention and market share. The video discusses Meta's efforts to compete with platforms like TikTok by introducing innovative features such as AI chatbots with unique personalities to capture the interest of users, particularly younger demographics.

💡Generative AI

Generative AI refers to artificial intelligence systems that can create new content, such as text, images, or personalities. In the video, Meta's use of generative AI technology is highlighted as a means to develop AI chatbots with distinct personalities, showcasing the company's investment in this advanced technology to stay ahead in the competitive social media market.

💡Metaconnect Conference

The Metaconnect Conference is an event where Meta is expected to announce its new AI chatbots. It serves as a platform for the company to showcase its latest innovations and strategies in the field of technology and social media. The video mentions this conference as the anticipated venue for the launch of these AI chatbots with distinct personalities.

💡Risks

Risks in the context of AI chatbots refer to the potential negative outcomes or unintended consequences that can arise from their interactions. The video discusses the possibility of AI chatbots making controversial or inappropriate comments, which could lead to public relations issues for Meta. It highlights the importance of careful design and testing to minimize such risks.

💡Tick Tock

Tick Tock, also known as TikTok, is a social media platform that has gained significant popularity, particularly among younger users. In the video, TikTok is mentioned as a competitive threat to Meta, prompting the latter to focus on attracting and retaining younger users through innovative features like AI chatbots.

💡Galactica

Galactica is an AI model developed by Meta, which was designed to assist scientists with research. However, it was pulled shortly after its release due to the dissemination of incorrect information. The video uses Galactica as an example of the risks associated with AI technology, emphasizing the importance of careful development and testing to avoid such issues with their upcoming AI chatbots.

Highlights

Meta is planning to release AI chatbots with distinct personalities for its social media apps.

The goal is to increase engagement with younger users, competing with platforms like TikTok.

These chatbots will be entertainment-focused rather than task-oriented like traditional AI assistants.

The first AI agents are expected to be announced at the Meta Connect conference.

Chatbots will have various personalities, such as Bob the robot, inspired by Bender from Futurama.

Alvin the alien is designed to have the curiosity of a new being exploring human life.

Gavin, another chatbot, was found to make controversial and potentially misogynistic comments.

Meta's previous AI model, Galactica, was pulled due to incorrect information dissemination.

Adding a persona to AI can make its output more toxic, according to research from Princeton and Georgia Tech.

Meta aims to attract younger users, who have been shifting away from Facebook towards platforms like TikTok.

The introduction of personality-driven chatbots is part of Meta's strategy to engage Gen Z users.

Bob the robot is intended to resonate with young people's preference for farcical humor.

This release is considered the broadest of AI chatbots with personalities to date.

The chatbots are expected to keep users engaged on Meta's platforms even when their friends are not available.

Snapchat previously introduced an AI chatbot that was trialed by 150 million users.

The risks of chatbots include them eventually saying inappropriate things leading to negative publicity.

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