Hollywood celebrities seem to be in discussions to have their voices included in AI initiatives run by Meta, the digital business that created Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. Based on articles from Bloomberg as well as The New York Times, the startup hopes to create MetaAI, a virtual assistant that talks similar to Siri as well as Google Assistant, using the voices of prominent individuals.
Integration Across Multiple Platforms
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As part of its ambitious effort, Meta is recording the voices of celebrities to be used on its messenger and Ray-Ban Meta eyewear, among other platforms. Both parties have been unable to come to a mutually acceptable agreement during the convoluted and sporadic conversations. Present conversations recommend using the voice recordings for a specific amount of time only as opposed to forever.
SAG-AFTRA's Conflict
It has been claimed that preliminary agreements have been made between Meta and the Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA). However, stakeholder representatives support stricter restrictions: these provisions are needed to protect actors from having their jobs replaced by artificial intelligence, which has already sparked strikes in the industry. The proposed transaction can cost millions of dollars, because Meta should have paid the artists and get their permission before using their subject to AI.
Preparation of the Meta Connect Conference
Before identifying many new products for AI at Meta Connect in September 2024, Meta hoped to obtain these agreements. There are many problems at the conference, especially after Meta announced in September 2023 that Charli D \ ‘Amelio, Paris Hilton, Snoop Dogg, Tom Brady and other celebrities and others were presented.
Users, however, found the idea disconcerting as celebrities voiced fictional characters instead of themselves, therefore this attempt could have sat better with them.
Possibilities and Difficulties
Meta is moving forward with its AI goals despite the chatbot trial receiving mixed reviews. The company previously spent up to $5 million on a two-year chatbot pilot program, with varying degrees of success in terms of user engagement. Snoop Dogg’s 87.5 million Instagram followers pale in comparison to the 15,000 his chatbot Dungeon Master has amassed, illustrating the difficulty of translating celebrity appeal into engagement with AI. What’s next
It remains to be seen whether Meta’s efforts to integrate celebrity voices into its AI programs will be successful. Meta’s partnership with Hollywood could completely change the way users interact with the platform, potentially having a major impact on the digital assistant market.
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