Meta enables creators to build their own chatbots

Meta has abandoned its celebrity AI chatbots and instead is focusing on its new AI Studio, which allows creators to make their own chatbots.

According to reports, Meta has shut down its AI chatbots that allowed you to converse with virtual versions of celebrities. The celebrity chatbots were announced as a major feature at Meta's Connect event in September last year, but now you can no longer interact with them.

Meta launched its AI Studio tool on Monday, which enables creators in the US to make their own AI chatbots. The company seems to be leaning more towards this direction rather than the more elaborate celebrity bots, according to a statement.

"You can no longer interact with AI characters played by celebrities. We've learned a lot from creating them and from the process of Meta AI to understand how people connect and create in unique ways. AI Studio is an evolution to create a space for anyone, including individuals, creators, and celebrities, to create their own AI," said Meta spokesperson Liz Sweeney to The Verge.

The initial list of Meta's chatbots included personalities like Charli D'Amelio (Coco, a "dance enthusiast"), Dwyane Wade (Victor, a "triathlete who inspires you to be your best self"), and Paris Hilton (Amber, a "detective partner who helps you solve whodunit mysteries"). The company had plans to add more, such as chatbots based on Bear Grylls, Chloe Kim, and Josh Richards, but as noted by The Information, these plans were not implemented. According to The Information's report in October last year, Meta paid several million dollars to some celebrities for the rights to use their images.

Despite the celebrity avatar bots not developing as Meta may have hoped, the company has high hopes for AI chatbots. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg discussed chatbots in an interview with The Verge's Alex Heath last year. The company has also integrated its Meta AI assistant into Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp.