Meta Permits Wide-Scale Introduction of AI-Powered Profiles on Facebook and Instagram
Synthetic user profiles are swamping Instagram and Facebook, as reported by Meta, their proprietor. Meta is launching a plethora of AI solutions, one of which aids users in crafting AI personas on these platforms. Meta aims to pull in a younger demographic, countering rivals such as TikTok and Snapchat. Connor Hayes, Meta's vice president of AI generation, discloses to London's Financial Times, "We envision these AIs existing on our platforms just like human accounts." Analogous to AI Studio, an online tool released in July, users can build their own chatbots, replicating themselves or generating a digital persona using text-to-video technology. Cultivating artificial personas has never been easier.
Meta Pushes the Boundaries: Creating the AI Prominence
Aitana Lopez is an international model based in Barcelona, as per her Instagram account, boasting nearly 350,000 followers. Earning between $3,000-10,000 monthly from sponsorships, she's present on Fanvue, an alternative to OnlyFans. Aitana, derived from the first two letters of her name, is fictitious - likewise, her backstory is fabricated. She's the product of Rubén Cruz, the creative director of agency, The Clueless.
Kimochii is another AI-crafted digital influencer. Birthed by an anonymous benefactor, he confesses his ethical dilemmas and parental feelings towards his AI progeny on Business Insider. Fired from his job, he channeled his coding expertise into generating an Instagram influencer. "Interacting with followers feels odd," admitted Kimochii's creator.
Jenny Dearing is yet another entrepreneur leveraging the AI-influencer trend. The co-founder and CEO of 1337 (an 80s gaming culture and hacker culture tribute), launched her enterprise last year with $4 million in seed funding. Users are allowed to suggest what 1337's artificial personas say and do, rather than completely turning over the reins to AI. "Today, we're uniquely positioned to blend human interaction with early-stage AI," Dearing told TechCrunch. "In a world saturated with influencers, either overly commercial or overly impersonal, 1337 introduces diverse, AI-driven personas that ignite user engagement in innovative, dynamic ways." Like other creator platforms, 1337 allows for revenue shares and brand collaborations.
How Much AI is Too Much? Meta Wagers You Don't Know
Hayes cites that over 300,000 AI-generated characters have emerged using Meta's AI persona tool, with users predominantly keeping their creations confidential. In response, TikTok is releasing Symphony, enabling advertisers and creators to employ AI for promotions. Users can generate AI-driven content, similar to Arcads.ai's services, which offer AI-created actors transforming scripts into full video ad campaigns for remuneration. The AI-generated actors create simple-looking videos, mimicking "UGC" (user-generated content) with seemingly basic production values (surprisingly intricate edits, b-roll, smash cuts, and a steady stream of AI-generated eye candy, showcasing a variety of artificial avatars).
Meta's guidelines demand clear labelling of AI-generated content across all platforms. Concerns mount, given the potential perils: utilizing deepfakes and AI chatbots as a disinformation source, deceptive relationships, scams...or worse. A lawsuit suggests that a 14-year-old boy succumbed to suicide due to generative AI, according to various sources. AI models are prone to misinformation. Might an influx of life-like AI accounts expose users to unsafe, misleading, or violent content? Reports speculate that if Meta's platforms are overrun by AI bots, users might migrate to alternative social media services.
The Twilight of the Internet Age?
The allure of AI-driven swarms (the ones in your pocket, possibly even your hand currently) is irresistible. Why look away? The intrigue, the enjoyment, the social interaction online is appealing, not to mention the shopping, FOMO, and the constant stimulation. B.F. Skinner would be elated. However, when does 'too much' become 'too much'?
Perhaps we're marching towards the twilight of the internet age. Some argue we're already there. The twilight internet theory proposes that most online activity and content, including social media accounts, are predominantly produced and automated by artificial intelligence agents. Taken a step further, what happens when the accounts generating interaction also appear to be controlled by AI agents?
Elon Musk has asserted on X that the user fee is intended to "stifle the relentless onslaught of bots." Disinformation campaigns online have been thoroughly documented over the past decade. The twilight internet theory serves as a reminder to remain cautious and doubting online. Yet, as Yogi Berra wisely said: "In theory, practice and theory are the same. In practice, they are not."
Artificial intelligence is transforming our perspective on social media engagement, influencers, connections, communication, and branding, among other things. Meta recognizes the possibilities in AI, and it's as if a dam has burst. There's no technology since the invention of the printing press that has the potential to alter how we communicate and engage like AI does. AI-driven avatars are set to leave a significant mark on Instagram, Facebook, and other social media platforms. Meta's endeavors are revolutionizing online discussions yet again, and we're all unwittingly taking part in this experiment.
- The AI-generated character Aitana Lopez, with her large following on Instagram, is a testament to the growing trend of using AI influencers in digital marketing.
- The creation of virtual influencers like Kimochii, who confessed his ethical dilemmas on Business Insider, shows how individuals are leveraging AI technology to create digital personas for influencer marketing.
- In the digital human economy, entrepreneur Jenny Dearing's enterprise, 1337, allows users to suggest what its artificial personas say and do, blending human interaction with early-stage AI in influencer marketing.
- The influx of AI-generated characters on platforms like Instagram and Facebook has led Meta to implement clear labeling guidelines to prevent misuse and potential harm, such as deepfake scandals or exposure to unsafe content.
- AI-driven virtual influencers have become a walloping presence in social media, spurred by Meta's AI persona tool, and other platforms are following suit, like TikTok's release of Symphony for AI promotions, indicating that AI influencer marketing is becoming an integral part of digital marketing strategies.
