In a recent podcast episode with Lex Fridman, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg shared his vision for integrating AI into Meta’s products, including Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and the Metaverse.

Zuckerberg, notably, envisions a future where AI isn’t a singular product but a practical tool integrated across the board.

He discussed his ideas for using AI in advertising, aiding social interactions, and even simplifying complex tasks in the Metaverse.

The company’s LLaMA language model is one of the major AI technologies under development.

In addition to LLaMA, Meta plans to deploy various large language models (LLMs) fine-tuned to different needs and businesses.

From AI chatbots serving as social assistants to AI tools helping brands negotiate advertising deals, Zuckerberg’s vision represents a shift in how people and businesses interact online.

Zuckerberg’s Vision For AI

Zuckerberg’s concept of AI customization departs from the “one-size-fits-all” approach, favoring personalized AI experiences.

“We don’t think there will be the one true thing. We think there should be a lot of development,” Zuckerberg said during the podcast.

He emphasized the importance of community-oriented, democratic product development, setting the stage for an array of AI tools to enhance every product in Meta’s portfolio.

Reimagining Advertising With AI

Zuckerberg envisions an AI that creates ad units based on simple user inputs.

Advertisers can state their offering, and the AI will craft an ad unit to connect them with the right audience.

Zuckerberg states:

“In the future, if you’re advertising on our services, do you need to make your own ad creative? No, you’ll tell us, okay, I’m a dog walker, and I’m willing to walk people’s dogs, and help me find the right people and create the ad unit that will perform the best.”

Further, He explains how creators, who often struggle to negotiate with brands who want to collaborate, could benefit from AI assistance.

Zuckerberg states:

“Creators go into their DMs and see brands want to do something with them, and they don’t know how to negotiate or push back respectfully, so I think building a tool that can allow them to do that well is one simple thing that we’ve heard from a lot of people that they’d be interested in.”

AI & The Metaverse

In terms of the Metaverse, Zuckerberg predicts that AI will play a role in simplifying complex tasks such as coding.

Users can describe the worlds they want to create, and the AI will generate the code for them.

“So natural language becomes the interface we use for all the ways we interact with the computer, with the digital,” Zuckerberg said, emphasizing AI’s transformative potential.

Generative AI In Instagram

Particularly intriguing is Meta’s plan to introduce generative AI technologies into Instagram.

Meta is developing tools allowing users to modify their photos for sharing on Instagram using a text prompt.

Another project, yet to enter internal testing, would let users guide how they want to edit a photo they plan to post to Instagram using text prompts.

This move taps into the growing consumer interest in AI photo editors.

A Socially Active AI

Zuckerberg’s vision for AI includes social companionship.

He believes AI assistants could become tools to enhance social connections and improve communication.

He pointed out many people could use more friends and better ways to express themselves.

“You can imagine AI assistants that just do a better job of reminding you when it’s your friend’s birthday and how you can celebrate them,” Zuckerberg said. “Having something more of a social assistant in that sense, that can update you on what’s going on in their life and how you can reach out to them effectively and be a better friend.”

Zuckerberg believes these AI assistants, serving as mentors, life coaches, and cheerleaders, can help break down barriers in communication.

He compared this to his newborn and five-year-old daughter, who cry due to difficulty expressing their ideas, noting that “All these different technologies that can help us navigate the social complexity and be able to better express what we’re feeling and thinking, I think that’s generally all good.”

Availability

Meta’s initial consumer-facing tools are expected to launch this year.

Despite these developments, it’s worth noting that AI technology isn’t without controversy.

Zuckerberg, however, dismisses these fears, stating that while people using AI tools for harmful purposes is a legitimate concern, existential threats aren’t imminent.

In Summary

Zuckerberg sees AI as a ubiquitous tool rather than a standalone product, anticipating its use in advertising, enhancing social interactions, and simplifying complex tasks in the Metaverse.

Customizable LLMs, such as LLaMA, will underpin this vision, stepping away from a one-size-fits-all approach to AI.

These initial AI implementations are expected to debut this year.

Source: Lex Fridman

Featured image generated by the author using Midjourney.