Meta Stops Celebrity-Like AI Chatbots

Meta has discontinued its AI chatbot that allowed users to chat with alternate versions of celebrities, The Information reports. The celebrity chatbot was a big part of Meta's announcements at its Connect event last September, and now you can't chat with it anymore.

The bot shutdown comes after Meta launched AI Studio on Monday, a tool that lets creators in the United States create their own AI chatbots. Based on a statement, the company appears to be prioritizing this approach over celebrity-crafted bots.

“You can no longer interact with celebrity-animated AI characters ,” Meta spokesperson Liz Sweeney told The Verge. “We’ve learned a lot from building them and Meta AI to understand how people can use AI to connect and create in unique ways. AI Studio is an evolution, creating a space for anyone, including everyone, including creators and celebrities, who want to create their own AI . ”

Meta’s initial roster of chatbots included stand-ins for people like Charli D’Amelio (Coco, a “dance enthusiast”), Dwyane Wade (Victor, an “Ironman triathlete who pushes you to be the best version of yourself”), and Paris Hilton (Amber, a “homicide detective”). While there were plans to add more characters, such as chatbots based on Bear Grylls, Chloe Kim, and Josh Richards, as The Information points out, the company never did. Meta has paid several celebrities millions of dollars to have their likenesses, The Information reported in October.

Even though these celebrity-like bots didn’t work out the way Meta hoped, the company still sees a lot of promise for AI chatbots. CEO Mark Zuckerberg spoke highly of chatbots to The Verge’s Alex Heath in an interview last year. The company has also integrated its Meta AI assistant into Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp.