It’s official. The dwindling days until our world becomes even more like a Black Mirror episode are over. Meet “Billie,” aka the AI personality of A-list celebrity Kendall Jenner.
What is it?
Meta has taken on a new project that is currently in Beta testing. The company is launching many AI personalities inspired by popular influencers and celebrities. Snoop Dogg, Tom Brady, Kendall Jenner, Paris Hilton, MrBeast and Charlie D’Amelio are just a few names that have been transformed into an AI personality by Meta.
However, characters like “Billie” (Kendall Jenner), “Coco” (Charli D’Amelio), “Zach” (MrBeast) and “Amber” (Paris Hilton) are not simply an AI-recreation of the celebrities themselves. Instead, Meta’s goal was to create a new identity for each of its AI characters that would interact with its users. For example, Billie’s character is the ride-or-die friend, and Amber is the mystery solver.
Users can chat with and be “companions” using this new AI by messaging the characters on WhatsApp, Messenger and Instagram.
Not only are users able to send messages to these AI characters, but each character has its own platform and following. “Billie” alone has already amassed over 175,000 followers on Instagram @yoursisbillie. Billie’s feed is a mix of videos and images of Jenner (or an AI-replicated image of Jenner) along with other AI-generated images of what the AI’s “day in the life” would look like if the character were an actual person.
The Future of Meta’s AI
Because these AI characters are in Beta testing, one can visit their social media platforms and interact with the AI directly. Right now, it isn’t yet confirmed how users feel about this seemingly personal next direction in which AI is headed. Yet the consensus among many comments on the AI personalities’ Instagram accounts is common: CREEPY.
If tech companies like Meta are already introducing new person-like AI figures to the public, what will the next 10 years look like? What are other companies on the cusp of that will be released soon? These questions should all be considered when thinking about this new type of AI.
One thing to acknowledge is the role that these AI personalities will play in everyday media and the lives of consumers. How will “Billie” replace aspects of Kendall Jenner’s personal brand? Will AI bots like “Coco,” “Zach” and “Amber” dehumanize their existing celebrity counterparts? And how will this affect socialization in the long run? Let us know your thoughts @VALLEYmag.
