Meta's AI Studio lets you create AI friends or an AI twin that can post, chat, and respond

This is a sign of the end times or the latest example of AI moving at a pace that is almost impossible for people to predict. With the recent launch of Meta's open-source and powerful Llama 3.1 AI model, the company hasn't skipped a beat and is currently rolling out its new AI Studio tool in the US.

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What is AI Studio? Well, it's described as "a place for people to create, share, and discover AIs to chat with," with no tech skills required. Integrated into Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp, these AIs are custom chatbots with a twist. They're your online friends, community, specialists, or even digital twins that can be trained to become you - respond to messages, post content, and even "generate memes."

"You can use a wide variety of prompt templates or start from scratch to make an AI that teaches you how to cook, helps you with your Instagram captions, or generates memes to make your friends laugh - the possibilities are endless," Meta writes in the announcement post.

Of course, the examples supplied are innocuous - travel tips and so forth. However, the applications are fascinating because you can create "AI friends" to chat about different topics or AIs that provide specific knowledge or assistance.

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There are various templates, with Meta providing a detailed and easy-to-follow document on creating and customizing your AI. The templates are designed as jumping-off points, allowing you to customize what it is, what it does, etc. The AI created doesn't have to be humanoid; it can be an animal or even an inanimate object that has come to life.

Created AIs have "long-term memory" in that they remember conversations. As for creating a digital twin, this is based on your Instagram profile, posts, likes, comments, and so forth - so its likeness will be limited by how transparent you are online. However, you can converse with your digital twin to help it learn to be more like you.

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The good news for those who aren't interested in creating a talking toaster that will always be there to discuss the ins and outs of bread and bread-related things with you is that these AIs will clearly be labeled as such. Still, it's hard not to read the following and be taken aback by how far AI has come.

"With AI Studio, Instagram creators can set up an AI as an extension of themselves that can quickly answer common DM questions and story replies," Meta explains. "Whether it's sharing facts about themselves or linking to their favorite brands and past videos, creator AIs can help creators reach more people and fans get responses faster."