Meta Unveils AI-Powered Features, Including Meta AI Virtual Assistant, Trained Using Instagram and Facebook
Mark Zuckerberg’s company, Meta, has announced the release of several AI-powered features that will soon be available across its products and services. One notable addition is Meta AI, a virtual assistant that will be integrated into Meta’s apps and has been trained using data from Instagram and Facebook.
In the past year, AI-based tools have become increasingly prevalent in the tech industry. It seems that every new software feature or product now incorporates some form of AI. Meta, which shifted its focus to AI after realizing that Zuckerberg’s initial vision of the metaverse was not widely accepted, is following suit.
On Thursday, Meta revealed a range of new AI features, including editing tools in Instagram and a new AI assistant called Meta AI. The company states, Meta AI is a new assistant you can interact with like a person, available on WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram, and coming soon to Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses and Quest 3.
Powered by a custom model that combines technology from Llama 2 and Meta’s latest large language model (LLM) research, Meta AI is capable of providing real-time information through its search partnership with Bing. It also offers image generation capabilities.
Notably, Meta relied on public posts from Facebook and Instagram to train parts of its AI. According to Meta President of Global Affairs, Nick Clegg, the company made efforts to exclude datasets containing personal information. Clegg explained that while most of the training data was publicly available, some portions were not specified.
Meta used publicly available photos and text posts to train its AI. Photos were used to train Emu, the AI at the core of the upcoming AI image editor in Instagram, while text posts were utilized to enhance the knowledge of its chatbot.
The use of public data to train AI models has sparked discussions surrounding privacy and copyright concerns. Clegg anticipates legal battles in determining whether incorporating copyrighted materials into AI training falls under Fair Use protection.
It is important to note that Meta does not endorse the generation of copyrighted imagery using its AI systems. A Meta spokesperson emphasized that their terms of service prohibit users from creating content that infringes upon privacy and intellectual property rights.
Meta’s latest AI-powered features have garnered significant attention due to their potential impact on user experiences. With the company’s continued development and integration of AI, it is expected that AI technologies will further shape Meta’s offerings in the future.
Overall, Meta’s unveiling of these AI-powered features demonstrates the company’s commitment to leveraging cutting-edge technology to enhance user interactions across various platforms and services. With Meta AI’s imminent arrival, users can anticipate a more personalized and efficient digital assistant experience.
