Meta is venturing into the AI chatbot realm, launching a lineup of new AI-driven bots for its messaging apps, such as WhatsApp, Messenger, and Instagram, currently in beta for selected U.S. users.

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One of these bots, known as Meta AI, shares similarities with chatbots like OpenAI's ChatGPT. Meta AI, soon to be integrated into Meta's Quest 3 VR headset, can assist in planning group trips, answer general queries, and provide real-time web results through Microsoft's Bing. Unlike Facebook's previous virtual assistant M, Meta AI is entirely automated and utilizes a large language model to offer concise responses, potentially avoiding the pitfalls of its predecessor.

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In addition to Meta AI, Meta introduced a lineup of "AI characters," essentially chatbots designed to emulate celebrities like Kendall Jenner and Snoop Dogg. These chatbots reside in Meta's messaging apps and animate subtly during conversations.

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While the concept is intriguing, recent history has highlighted the challenges AI chatbots can face, such as providing inaccurate information and missing critical conversational cues. Meta claims to have extensively tested its chatbots, addressing problematic scenarios and implementing safeguards against policy violations, but their real-world performance remains to be seen.

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