Menlo Park, CA – Meta, the parent company of Facebook, is planning to launch AI-powered chatbots with different personalities to enhance engagement on its social media platforms. 

These “personas” chatbots will simulate human-like discussions and may take on the form of various characters, such as Abraham Lincoln or a surfer offering travel advice. The anticipated launch is set for September, with the primary purpose of providing a new search function, offering recommendations, and serving as an entertaining feature for users.

The move comes as Meta aims to attract and retain users amid growing competition from platforms like TikTok and capitalize on the AI hype since the launch of Microsoft-backed ChatGPT by OpenAI. 

The chatbots have the potential to gather vast amounts of user data, aiding Meta in targeting users more effectively with relevant content and advertisements. However, this raises privacy concerns and potential issues related to manipulation and data usage.