Meta AI Studio is now rolling out to users on Instagram. The social media giant announced the AI avatar creation platform during its Connect event last year, and it’s now available to some users on its photo and video sharing platform. Powered by the recently released Llama 3.1 405B artificial intelligence (AI) model, AI Studio can create mini chatbots called AI characters with a dedicated knowledge base that can interact with other users. Instagram creators can also use the tool to build AI-powered digital avatars of themselves to interact with those who follow them.
Instagram users can now create AI characters
In a newsroom afterMeta announced that its AI Studio is now rolling out to users. It can be accessed via the Instagram app or the AI Studio website. Currently, the feature is limited to those living in the US. In the announcement, the company said, “AI Studio lets anyone create and discover AI characters, and empowers creators to build an AI as an extension of themselves to reach more fans.”
AI Character Feature on AI Studio
Photo credit: Meta
There are two different features within AI Studio. The first is AI Characters. This feature allows any user to create a more complete AI-powered character with a name, tagline, and description. The user can add this information and based on that, AI will generate a mini chatbot that follows those instructions. Once created, the AI character can interact with other users on Instagram, Messenger, WhatsApp, and the web.
In terms of functionality, the feature is similar to AI agents. These are mini chatbots created with a specific knowledge base and purpose. They usually only generate responses in that specific domain without losing their conversational nature. OpenAI has similar AI agents that it calls GPTs. Google Gemini’s AI agents are known as Gemma.
Instagram isn’t the first to introduce this feature to social media, though. Platforms like Character.ai and Butterflies already allow users to create such AI characters.
Another feature in AI Studio is only available to Instagram creators. While Meta didn’t disclose eligibility criteria, it said creators can use the AI platform to create AI avatars of themselves that can respond to direct messages (DMs) and story reactions.
This automation is aimed at those creators who have a large number of unanswered messages and are struggling to connect with their followers. The tool lets them respond to all of these messages.
Instagram AI Avatars Feature
Photo credit: Meta
The feature was first reported in April, with the company reportedly conducting initial tests on the feature at the time. It was also said that it would be expanded to the comments section, and that AI avatars would be able to respond to comments on their posts and Reels.
AI avatars are customizable, and Meta says creators can base these avatars on things like their “Instagram content, topics to avoid, and links to share.” Creators can also turn auto-replies on and off through the Professional dashboard in the Instagram app, as well as choose who the AI replies to. Additionally, AI-generated replies are labeled to help the user know who is responding.
