Meta announced a wide range of new AI-powered bots, features, and products at their annual Connect conference that will be released across their messaging platforms, Meta Quest 3, and future Ray-Ban smart glasses. The abundance of new AI experiences and capabilities leverages the power of generative AI to make Meta’s offerings more creative, expressive, and addictive.

While Meta frames the slew of announcements as providing users with more tools for creativity and productivity, critics argue the increased use of AI comes with significant risks around misinformation, data privacy, and fair compensation for those whose likenesses are used.

The announcements centered on Meta’s new Llama 2 family of open access AI models for text and code generation. Meta says Llama 3 is slated for release in 2024. They also unveiled their new image generator Emu to power AI stickers and image editing features.

Meta announcements include:

• AI Assistant using Llama 2 and Microsoft Bing for real-time info and photorealistic images
• 28 AI personality chatbots modeled after celebrities like Naomi Osaka and Kendall Jenner for specialized conversations
• AI Studio allowing businesses to build customized chatbots and creators to extend their reach
• AI-generated stickers powered by Emu on WhatsApp, Messenger etc created in seconds
• Image editing features like AI-powered restyling and backdrops on Instagram

Meta emphasized efforts to make the AI conversational and safe through red teaming. However, experts caution that risks remain around biased, inaccurate, or inappropriate content.

The abundance of AI-infused offerings aligns with Meta’s push into the metaverse and virtual spaces. But increased use of generative AI also raises difficult questions around data privacy, misinformation, fair compensation, and automation’s impact on jobs. Meta claims their AI will empower creativity, but the technology remains imperfect. Its implementation requires careful consideration of benefits and risks.