Instagram users may have noticed a new colorful circular logo at the top of their messages interface lately. It is Meta’s AI-powered chatbot.
This addition to Instagram offers quite a few features to users, including the ability to chat with an AI, answer queries, and even generate images using user-created text prompts. Meta has previously added its AI chatbot to other platforms, including Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp, per Engadget.
There is something rather unsettling about Meta inviting users on a social media platform to eschew human interaction in favor of chatting with an AI. Still, alas, some users may find utility in Meta AI.
When asked why it was inside Instagram, Meta AI replied, “I’m here to help people like you with tasks and answer questions, right where you are — on Instagram!”
“I’m part of Meta’s efforts to provide AI-powered assistance across various platforms, including Instagram,” the AI continued.
As for why someone might chat with Meta AI instead of their friends on Instagram, the bot says it is “more like a supplement,” a resource for quick answers to questions, a source of ideas when friends aren’t available, and a fresh and different perspective.
“Think of me as a complementary tool to enhance your social experience, not a replacement for meaningful human connections,” Meta AI explained.
Meta AI promises to more than chat — it can also help users find content on Instagram. For example, when asked to show Reels about photography, Meta AI shows a curated assortment of reels directly inside the message interface. It can also show accounts about landscape photography, although these are also based on Reels, rather than direct links to relevant Instagram profiles.
The Meta AI chatbot can also answer questions about Instagram’s terms of services and provide helpful links. The Meta AI chatbot showed step-by-step instructions to disable data sharing with third-party services when asked, for example.
It will be interesting to see how far Meta plans to take its AI. It seems clear at this point that Meta has big ideas concerning generative AI. It will likely not be long before users will be able to generate videos from inside Instagram.
Image credits: Header photo licensed via Depositphotos.