Meta to prioritise AI tool

Meta, the parent company of Facebook, announced on Monday that it will form a new “top-level product group” to accelerate its work on artificial intelligence (AI) tools. The move comes as the technology industry’s big players compete in an AI arms race. The new group will initially focus on generative AI, the underlying technology behind the viral AI chatbot ChatGPT, which will be used to build “delightful experiences” across Meta’s range of products, starting with “creative and expressive tools,” according to CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s Facebook post.

Zuckerberg stated that the longer-term focus will be on developing AI personas to assist people in various ways, including new Instagram filters and chat tools for WhatsApp and Messenger. The company’s efforts are part of a broader push by the technology industry to make significant advances in AI. The AI frenzy began in late November when Microsoft-backed OpenAI publicly released ChatGPT, which generated compelling, human-sounding responses to user prompts.

Meta’s foray into generative AI poses certain risks, similar to those encountered by Microsoft and Google. Both companies’ AI tools have faced criticism for producing inaccurate or uncanny responses, highlighting the potential for biases and misinformation. Before the ChatGPT hype, Meta had released an AI-powered chatbot called “BlenderBot 3” that made offensive comments.

Zuckerberg acknowledged that the company has “foundational work to do” before creating futuristic experiences, but he remains optimistic about the new developments. Meta’s Chief AI scientist, Yann LeCunn, has expressed skepticism about ChatGPT’s hype, stating that it is not a significant advance in AI from a scientific point of view. Despite this, Meta is pushing forward with its efforts to keep up with its competitors in the rapidly evolving field of AI.

Meta’s creation of a new product group focused on AI tools highlights the importance of this technology in the industry. The company’s focus on generative AI and the potential for biases and misinformation associated with these tools poses challenges. However, Zuckerberg remains optimistic about the future of AI and the new products the company will develop.