Meta is now focusing on integrating AI chatbots with celebrity voices, moving away from the use of celebrity faces. This change follows the lukewarm reception of their earlier attempt to engage users with bots styled after famous personalities, such as a “Dungeon Master” bot modeled after Snoop Dogg.

Last September, at its Connect Conference, Meta unveiled its celebrity-themed AI chatbots, designed to enhance user interaction by incorporating the personas of well-known figures. However, despite the initial buzz, the concept failed to capture significant user interest. Meta has since decided to phase out these celebrity-faced bots, which were criticized for lacking authentic interaction from the celebrities themselves.

Now, Meta is betting on a new approach: utilizing the voices of Hollywood stars in their AI chatbots. Reports suggest that Meta is negotiating multimillion-dollar deals with celebrities like Judi Dench, Awkwafina, and Keegan-Michael Key to lend their voices to the company’s artificial intelligence projects.

The shift to celebrity voices aims to reinvigorate user engagement by offering a more personal and recognizable touch, even though the responses will still be generated by AI, not the celebrities themselves. This strategy reflects Meta’s ongoing attempt to find innovative ways to make its AI tools more appealing and to drive greater adoption among users.

Despite these efforts, some critics argue that Meta’s approach may still be seen as a gimmick rather than a substantial advancement in AI chatbot technology. The effectiveness of this new tactic remains to be seen, but it underscores Meta’s commitment to experimenting with novel features to boost user interest and interaction with their AI products.

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