Meta's New Chatbot Personas: A Futurama Favorite and More

• Meta
• Chatbot

Meta, previously known as Facebook, is preparing to unveil a generative artificial intelligence chatbot, internally dubbed 'Gen AI Personas.' This move aims to entice younger users to the world of AI chatbots. The new chatbot is anticipated to launch during Meta's Connect event on September 27 and will introduce some familiar but perhaps somewhat dated 'personas.'

Bringing Familiar Faces into AI Chatbots

As reported by The Verge, the chatbots will feature different personas designed to promote more human-like, engaging conversations to appeal to younger users. One of these 'sassy' robot personas draws inspiration from popular characters such as Bender from Futurama and Alvin the Alien. The idea is to leverage familiar faces to make these AI personas more approachable and fun.

A Plethora of Chatbot Personalities

Meta plans to add "dozens" of familiar faces to its chatbot lineup, aiming to create a tool enabling celebrities to develop chatbots for their fans. This opens up intriguing possibilities, such as having a digital conversation with your favorite star.

Meta's Strategy in the AI World

Meta is investing considerable time and effort into perfecting its chatbot game in the burgeoning world of AI. This move is reminiscent of Snapchat's AI, which had a brief moment in the spotlight before quickly fading into obscurity. However, Meta aims to learn from past missteps and create AI personas that can hold users' attention for longer, thereby increasing ad placement opportunities.

The Gen Z Target

Interestingly, the selection of 'young people' personas that Meta is opting for has raised some eyebrows. While Bender from Futurama is undoubtedly a recognizable character, he's not precisely a Gen Z icon. As someone from the demographic Meta is targeting, it's an unusual choice for a celebrity to feature on your product, given the multitude of other (more relevant) personalities to choose from.

The Advantage of Gen Z

Meta has an advantage in targeting Gen Z as they are open about their interests. However, it remains to be seen if the other personas Meta has in mind are more suitable for the current generation. It'll be intriguing to observe how the chosen personalities connect with the target audience and impact the adoption of chatbot technology among younger users.