Facebook parent company Meta Platform is set to introduce a new feature this week that will allow users to choose celebrity voices for its AI chatbots, according to a report from Reuters on Monday. Well-known actors including Judi Dench, Kristen Bell and John Cena have reportedly signed on to lend their voices to the company's digital assistant, which resembles OpenAI's ChatGPT.
According to the report, the voice options, which also include Awkwafina and Keegan-Michael Key, will be offered alongside a variety of common voices for Meta's AI. The announcement is expected during Meta's annual Connect conference, which begins on Wednesday. The audio feature will be available across all of Meta's apps, including Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, in the US and other English-speaking regions, the report said.
The introduction of celebrity voices may align with Meta's broader effort to stay competitive in the fast-growing field of generative AI. Major tech rivals such as Microsoft-backed OpenAI and Alphabet-owned Google are also expanding their AI products. OpenAI introduced a similar voice feature for its chatbot earlier this year, though it faced controversy when actor Scarlett Johansson accused the company of copying her voice without her consent.
Meta is rushing to enhance its AI offerings and deepen their integration into its apps, giving users new ways to interact with the technology. Last year, the company experimented with text-based AI “characters” modeled on celebrities such as Paris Hilton and Snoop Dogg, though these did not gain widespread popularity.
Meta is also expected to introduce the first version of augmented-reality (AR) glasses at the event. The company is also likely to detail future plans for other hardware, such as its Ray-Ban Meta smartglasses, which last year became the first product to feature an audio-enabled version of Meta's AI assistant.
In anticipation of the Connect conference, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg shared a promotional video with John Cena on Instagram last week. In the clip, Cena and others perform stunts while wearing Meta's Ray-Ban smartglasses.
(With inputs from Reuters)
In a single day, 36 million Indians chose us as India's undisputed platform for General Election results. Check latest updates Here!
Get all the business news, technology news, breaking news events and latest news updates on Live Mint. Download Mint News App to get daily market updates.
more less
Published: September 24, 2024, 11:02 PM IST