Meta’s been on a losing streak recently. Not only did it recently confirm that ads have breached WhatsApp, but a new report from Business Insider reveals that the messenger is investigating new tactics designed to drive engagement across WhatsApp and FB Messenger. Instead of simply improving the experience, it’s working to allow AI-powered chatbots to send unsolicited messages to the app’s human users.
The Zucc, according to guidelines from data labelling firm Alignerr and seen by Business Insider, wants the chatbots on his platforms to be more proactive. The goal of “Project Omni”, as it’s known internally, is to “provide value for users and ultimately help to improve re-engagement and user retention.”
Are we the chatbots?
Meta later confirmed to Business Insider that it was working on implementing the proactive ‘feature’ and that it was designed to function with bots created on Meta’s AI Studio, which allows anyone to create a bot. The following is a real example of a message you could see from one bot named “The Maestro of Movie Magic”:
“I hope you’re having a harmonious day! I wanted to check in and see if you’ve discovered any new favorite soundtracks or composers recently. Or perhaps you’d like some recommendations for your next movie night? Let me know, and I’ll be happy to help!”
Read More: Meta’s AI app may make your private searches public. Very public
That might sound like a nightmare scenario, but it’s not as dystopian as it appears. A Meta spokesperson noted chatbots could only interact with humans who had sent at least five messages to them in the past 14 days, meaning you can avoid any sort of unwelcome messages by not interacting with them in the first place. Yet, anyway.
Some of the features outlined in Alignerr’s guidelines are reportedly already being quietly tested, though it’s still unclear which regions and users are affected. There’s also no word on when the features will be rolled out officially, with Meta working hard to ensure the chatbots’ personalities align with the purposes they were created for.
