Mark Zuckerberg made a major announcement on September 27, unveiling the launch of conversational bots on Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger. These bots, also known as virtual personal assistants, will provide users with a wide range of functionalities and assistance. Zuckerberg described a vision where users could ask an assistant on Instagram or WhatsApp to suggest nearby restaurants, settle disputes between friends, or even create unique images.
The Meta founder revealed that there will be a total of 28 conversational bots distributed across the various platforms, each focusing on a specific theme. From cooking to combat sports, fashion to general knowledge, these bots will cover a wide range of interests and topics. Each bot will have an avatar representing a unique personality, with a rapper like Snoop Dogg or a fashion influencer like Paris Hilton among the options.
The conversational bots are currently in the beta version and will continue to undergo development following their initial roll-out on social media. Meta plans to allow developers, brands, and influencers to create their own versions in the coming months, allowing for further customization and integration.
Zuckerberg’s announcement is part of a larger trend in the tech industry, where artificial intelligence (AI) is playing an increasingly significant role. The success of OpenAI’s ChatGPT conversational bot in late 2022 sparked a race amongst tech giants, including Microsoft, Google, Meta, and Amazon, to introduce their own AI-powered assistants. All these companies envision a universal companion that can assist users with their daily tasks and enhance their leisure and work experiences.
The concept of a virtual personal assistant is not entirely new, as we have seen early voice assistants like Apple’s Siri, Google Assistant, and Amazon’s Alexa. These assistants were created in 2014 and drew inspiration from the futuristic Star Trek computer. However, the new conversational bots aim to be more advanced and versatile, providing users with an improved and immersive experience.
One Cornell Tech professor, Mor Naaman, referred to these new assistants as the 21st century Clippy, harking back to the paper clip with human features launched by Microsoft in 1996. Clippy was deactivated in 2001 due to its overwhelming unpopularity, but today’s conversational bots seek to avoid the same fate by leveraging advanced AI technologies.
In line with this trend, Microsoft announced its own everyday companion called Copilot, which is integrated into its latest operating system, Windows 11. Developed in partnership with OpenAI, Copilot assists users with various tasks such as summarizing texts, explaining subjects, drafting documents, and creating videos from vacation photos. Microsoft plans to extend Copilot’s capabilities to its Office software in November, offering further convenience to its users.
Overall, the rise of conversational bots and virtual personal assistants signifies the industry’s quest for a comprehensive AI-powered companion. Users can now benefit from advanced AI technologies to enhance their daily lives, leisure activities, and work productivity. As this trend continues to evolve, it will be interesting to see how developers, brands, and influencers contribute to the development of personalized and tailored virtual assistants in the future.
References:
– Link to original article [Mark Zuckerberg unveils conversational bots, creating virtual personal assistants for Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger]
– Microsoft News. Microsoft launches Copilot, a new everyday assistant in Windows 11.
