Meta has taken a bold step forward in integrating AI-generated voices of celebrities into its chatbot technology, as announced at Meta Connect 2024.

The company secured agreements with actors, allowing the use of their AI-generated voices for various AI projects. 

This move marks a significant advancement in how users will interact with Meta’s AI services.

Meta Connect 2024, Meta’s annual event focusing on augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and artificial intelligence (AI), introduced new hardware and updates on the Meta Quest S3, Meta Ray-Ban smart glasses, and Orion AR glasses. 

Arguably the most groundbreaking announcement involved the upcoming voice features for Meta AI chatbots.

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AI-Generated Voices for Chatbots

Meta revealed that users would soon be able to engage in conversations with chatbots featuring AI-generated celebrity voices. 

These voices will not only mimic famous speakers but also simulate their voices in other languages with synchronized lip movements. Initially, this feature will be rolled out to select creators’ videos in English and Spanish, targeting users in the U.S. and Latin America.

One of the most anticipated updates is the ability to have voice conversations with Meta AI, expanding its functionality beyond the Ray-Ban smart glasses, which were the only platform supporting such interactions previously. 

The company has partnered with various celebrities to bring these voices to life, though the exact timeline for the feature’s release remains undisclosed.

Expanding Meta AI’s Reach

The Meta AI assistant is everywhere across Meta’s platforms. Soon, users on Facebook, Messenger, Instagram, and WhatsApp will be able to select their preferred celebrity voice to interact with. 

In addition to celebrity voices, there will be more generic voice options based on individual user preferences. These features are expected to be available in the U.S. and other English-speaking regions.

Meta is hoping these celebrity voices will attract more users to its AI assistant. 

The company has already phased out its celebrity chatbot personas from the previous year’s launch and is exploring new ways to integrate AI into its main applications. One such feature is AI-generated translation for Reels, which will include automatic dubbing and lip-syncing.

A World of AI Possibilities

In addition to voice features, Meta AI is gaining new image capabilities. Users will soon be able to ask Meta AI to edit images within apps like Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp. This includes changing backgrounds, removing or adding objects, and altering elements like clothing.

Meta is also testing AI-generated content in the main feeds of Facebook and Instagram. These AI-generated images will be personalized based on users’ interests and past activities, offering a unique, curated experience.

All these new features coincide with the release of Meta’s latest Llama 3.2 model, which introduces vision capabilities, allowing it to excel in image recognition and visual understanding tasks.