Instagram Creators Will Be Able to Chat With All Their Followers. Except They Won't Be Doing It, Their Bots Will

Meta is rolling out AI Studio, a set of tools that allow creators on Instagram to have their own “virtual doubles” in the form of artificial intelligence bots. What do these bots do? Something important: chatting with followers by impersonating the creator's identity, with their permission and blessing, of course.

Meta introduced this tool in September 2023, but to date it has only tested it with a few Instagram influencers. Now, access to AI Studio will be available to all creators in the U.S., so followers of these users in the rest of the world can now chat with their virtual doppelgangers.

According to Meta, these bots aim to solve one of the problems that have affected creators with the most users on Instagram: responding to the avalanche of messages sent to them by their followers. These bots will be something like “an extension of themselves,” Conor Hayes, vice president of product for AI Studio at Meta, said.

These chatbots can quickly answer typical questions that come in via direct messages to creators or in response to their stories. Creators can customize their bots based on the content of their Instagram account, but they can also avoid specific topics or include links they want to share.

Of course, Instagram will tag the answers from creators and their bots to ensure maximum transparency and avoid problems. If you get a response from the creator’s “virtual double,” or AI bot, Instagram will tag the response as such. Meta warns that AI will continue to have the same problem as always and that “some of the messages generated by AI may be inaccurate or inappropriate.”

But Meta faces a particularly tricky challenge. Platforms like Replika have succeeded precisely by offering their users a unique alternative: chatbots to keep them company or even to make them fall in love. But from the first moment, users know that the messages generated by these customized characters are created by an AI. Interaction is optional.

On the other hand, this interaction isn’t so voluntary on Instagram, and waiting for a response from the creator to get one from their chatbot work against that creator and Instagram.

Social media platforms have allowed us to connect with everyone and even interact with people we admire and follow. But when a chatbot replaces that interaction, part of the essence of that original relationship is lost.

Meta’s initial tests with AI Studio have indicated a lukewarm reception. Kendall Jenner and Mr. Beast have had their own “AI characters” on Instagram for months. They’re called “Billie” and “Zach,” respectively, According to The New York Times, the criticism of their way of chatting was explicit. “This is so stupid,” one of the users who criticized the bot said, while another wondered what we all wonder:

“Why would I want to message a bot?”

Exactly.

This article was written by Javier Pastor and originally published in Spanish on Xataka.

Images | Meta

Related | The EU Won't Receive Meta’s Next Major AI Models. The Reason: Local Regulations