Instagram to Test AI Versions for Creators in the U.S.

Instagram is set to introduce AI characters created by users, with initial tests launching in the U.S. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced this development, highlighting that these AI characters will first appear in messaging.

Initial Announcement

Zuckerberg shared the news on his broadcast channel, stating, "Rolling out an early test in the U.S. of our AI studio so you might start seeing AIs from your favorite creators and interest-based AIs in the coming weeks on Instagram." These AI characters will be clearly labeled and will primarily show up in messaging during the initial phase.

Early Days of AI Integration

“This is just the beta version, and we'll continue to improve it and make it available to more people soon,” Zuckerberg mentioned. The announcement coincided with Character.AI's new feature allowing users to interact with AI avatars over calls.

Collaborations with Creators

Meta is working with several creators during the early stages of the rollout. Among them are the meme account Waste and technology creator Don Allen Stevenson. Zuckerberg explained the experimental nature of this initiative in an interview with Kallaway: “I don’t think we know going into this what will be the most engaging and entertaining and trust-building formula for this. So we want to give people tools so that you can experiment with this and see what ends up working well.”

Future Plans for AI Integration

The goal is to eventually enable all creators and small businesses to create their own AIs for community interaction and customer engagement. “There needs to be a lot of different APIs to reflect people’s different interests. Our approach is to enable every creator and eventually every small business on the platform to create an AI for themselves,” Zuckerberg added.

Testing Phase

Meta will begin testing the AI studio with around 50 creators in the U.S., reaching a small percentage of its users. A full launch could happen by August if the tests are successful.