Meta, the parent company of Instagram and Facebook, has introduced an innovative update to its AI chatbot, Meta AI, powered by its advanced Llama model.
This AI is designed to allow users to interact with it using the voices of renowned celebrities, including Dame Judi Dench, John Cena, and Awkwafina. These celebrity voiceovers are part of Meta’s push to make AI more accessible and engaging for users, offering a more personalized and interactive experience.
In addition, Kristen Bell, famous for her role in Frozen, and comedian Keegan-Michael Key will also lend their voices to the AI, expanding the range of personalities users can engage with.
The unveiling of Meta AI came during Meta’s annual Connect conference, where CEO Mark Zuckerberg showcased several cutting-edge technologies aimed at enhancing connectivity and user interaction.
One of the highlights was the Orion, a set of smart glasses described by Zuckerberg as “the most advanced glasses the world has ever seen.”
Orion glasses are designed to integrate seamlessly with everyday life, providing users with advanced AI-powered functionalities and augmented reality experiences.
Meta also announced updates to its Ray-Ban smart glasses, which now feature real-time translation capabilities, allowing users to communicate effortlessly across different languages.
Zuckerberg demonstrated these glasses in action by having a conversation with Mexican martial artist Brandon Moreno, where he spoke in English, and the glasses translated his speech into Spanish in real time.
This breakthrough feature aims to bridge language barriers and make communication more fluid and accessible.
Additionally, the glasses enable users to dub their videos in another language, with the AI adjusting their lip movements to match the new speech, offering a seamless and realistic experience.
In his keynote speech, Zuckerberg emphasized Meta’s broader vision of creating a more open, accessible, and human-centered technological future.
He stated that these advancements align with Meta’s core values of fostering human connection and pushing the boundaries of communication technology.
By incorporating these AI and augmented reality (AR) features, Meta is striving to redefine how people interact with each other and with technology in their daily lives.
An update aimed at social media influencers was also introduced, allowing them to create AI versions of themselves.
This feature enables influencers to interact with their fans in real-time through their digital doppelgängers, making it easier for them to engage with larger audiences and maintain a consistent online presence.
This development is expected to have a significant impact on influencer marketing, where AI-driven interactions can offer new levels of personalization.
Meta AI has already amassed a substantial user base, with 500 million active users globally, a figure that industry expert Jeremy Goldman described as “jaw-dropping.”
According to Goldman, this rapid growth is a testament to Meta’s transformation from a social media giant to an AI powerhouse.
He emphasized that Meta’s use of celebrity voices is not just a novelty but a strategic move to challenge competitors like OpenAI, demonstrating Meta’s commitment to making AI more integrated into everyday tasks and entertainment.
Finally, Meta’s efforts to dominate the AR/VR market were highlighted by its strategy to offer advanced yet affordable technologies, especially when compared to Apple’s Vision Pro, which retails for $3,500.
Meta’s focus on providing more affordable options positions the company to capture a significant share of the middle-tier AR/VR market, with the aim of making immersive technologies more accessible to the masses.
