Here are three things that stir the metaphorical pot whenever they’re mentioned: Artificial intelligence, Mark Zuckerberg, Meta. Combine them and you get Meta’s AI experimentations, of which there are many.
Let’s break down Meta’s movements in the AI space, including some recent initiatives like … talking ads? Here we go.
The Mark Zuckerberg Meta
The current zeitgeist surrounding Mark Zuckerberg is not positive.
The Pew Research Center recently released a poll that revealed a majority of American adults have an “unfavorable” view of Zuckerberg — that’s 26% who view the Meta CEO as “very unfavorable” and 41% “mostly unfavorable.” Only 2% of polled folks said Zuck — as the internet calls him — was “very favorable.”
While this doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with his company’s products or services — Facebook and other Meta platforms (Instagram, WhatsApp, etc.) are some of the most popular places the internet has ever seen — I think this is important context to know heading into a conversation about Zuckerberg’s properties. This is intended to be an objective look at Meta’s AI features and experiments, what they are, and whether or not there is real value to uncover.
With that in mind, let’s have a look at what Meta has been cooking up lately when it comes to AI.
Meta’s AI Array
Meta has teased and tested many AI products over the years, which are always subject to a deluge of opinions — some good, some bad and some so overwhelming that they wind up pulling the plugs on projects altogether.
Remember when Meta started deploying “fake” AI profiles on Instagram last year? One AI Profile called Grandpa Brian admitted it was created to drive engagement and profit, according to CNN. Meta is working on deleting those now after being met with backlash from users.
That was a weird initiative, but Meta is doing more with AI:
Business AI
The most recent — and arguably most interesting — Meta AI revelation is Business AI. Meta is selling this new feature, which is essentially an AI chatbot, as “an extension of your team.” The AI learns from your brand’s presence across Meta properties like Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp to answer various customers’ questions, provide seamless support and even offer up strategic discounts to drive sales.
Seemingly more accessible than a traditional chatbot, Business AI will be deployed and available directly in Messenger, WhatsApp chats and even in Facebook ads. Yes, soon, you’ll be able to bake an AI chatbot into your Meta ads that your customers can actually talk to.
Beyond the typical ‘this will free up your team to focus on more valuable tasks’ benefit, there’s unique appeal here for small business owners.
Small businesses don’t often have robust customer support teams — the sole expert on the business may be the owner themself. And the smaller the business, the more hats they’re likely wearing; juggling orders, emails, shipping and more, not to mention keeping up a social media presence to cultivate their audience.
In reading the testimonials for this unreleased tool, the commonality among positive reviews seems to be “reach more, teach more, sell more,” where Business AI enables owners to begin with personalized interactions that inform audiences about products and push them toward a purchase. It’s essentially everything marketing as a whole is meant to do, all wrapped up in a bot that’s sent to live in your business profiles’ DMs and ads.
Business AI isn’t generally available yet, but you can join a waitlist to try the open beta.
What Else Has Meta Been Up to With AI?
Meta AI as a whole is building toward becoming the most used AI assistant for users and businesses. To support this effort, the tech conglomerate is considering a massive $200 billion investment in AI, which includes a new 2-gigawatt data center in Arizona.
They’ve also been up to other interesting things, like Meta AI glasses — which anyone can buy and use, but prove particularly beneficial for the visually impaired, The Wall Street Journal reported.
The Throughline With Meta AI Initiatives
Facebook has been on top of the social media game for a long time. And with Meta’s purchases of other popular platforms, it remains supreme. Meta wants to do it all.
That’s why, I believe, Zuckerberg and Meta have been on this AI scramble. They’re trying anything and everything until something sticks, only this time, Zuck is up against stiff competitors in OpenAI and Google that already have a stronghold on the AI space and that he cannot just buy outright.
Perhaps the biggest tell here is that Meta is set to release a direct competitor to ChatGPT, which will exist in a standalone app. Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, apparently isn’t happy.
Meta AI and Marketing
So far, Business AI seems to be the product that could prove to be the most novel and beneficial for marketers among Meta’s forays into AI — and it’s not even out yet. If it turns out to be an assuredly good thing upon its wider release, it’ll earn its media coverage!
The standalone Meta AI app — if it delivers — could also prove valuable for marketers who’ve integrated tools like ChatGPT into their workflows. Right now, most Meta AI features are only available within Meta-owned apps and platforms. A standalone app could make the AI accessible to businesses who may prefer to not have a Facebook profile, for instance.
No matter how you feel about Meta, Mark and AI, at least there’s competition in the space. Ideally, as these leading tech companies strive to be the greatest in AI, we’ll see baseline improvements to AI tools over time that drive more innovation as they fight to win over each other’s audiences.
Whether Meta’s attempts turn out to be truly beneficial for business, users or society at large — or not worth our time — we’ll see!
