This development follows a trend of companies using AI to simulate personal interactions, with mixed results. For instance, mental health app Koko experimented with an AI counselor for its users, but eventually discontinued the feature due to negative public response. While Instagram's AI is not intended to be a therapist, it is expected that some users may use it in a similar intimate manner.
Key takeaways:
- Instagram is reportedly developing customizable artificial intelligence friends, allowing users to choose their AI's race, gender, age, personality, interests, name, and avatar.
- The AI's personality will inform the tone of its speech, and its avatar will be created using an image generation AI.
- Meta, Instagram's parent company, has not confirmed when or if these customizable AIs will be released.
- This development follows a trend of companies using AI to pose as personal resources for users, despite mixed success and public backlash in some cases.