Meta is testing AI agents that let users ‘talk’ to businesses

Could the most compelling case for AI be talking to ads?

Meta is testing a new feature that will let users “talk” and question AI agents on behalf of advertisers and businesses across platforms like Facebook and Instagram, it announced Tuesday

Called Business AI, the tech Meta is piloting involves AI agents that can engage with users’ questions, either through voice or text. The tool, which functions like a chatbot, aims to help democratize access to AI agents for smaller businesses that can’t otherwise afford AI investments, Clara Shih, Meta’s VP of Business AI, said at a press roundtable held at the company’s offices in New York.

“There’s also a lot of businesses where it’s just not feasible for them to fine-tune a model and build all of the software infrastructure that’s required to deploy AI,” she said.

The presentation included examples of Business AI inquiries, like consumers asking about a business’s best-selling product or whether any promotional codes are available. The tools can be trained on a brand’s existing content, product catalog and brand guidelines, and it can also be trained to avoid topics, said Shih, who joined Meta in November from Salesforce, where she was previously the CEO of Salesforce AI.

In a demo presented to reporters, a hypothetical user was targeted with an ad for an eco-friendly shampoo brand, which led them to ask if there was a product suitable for their hair type. The agent was then able to offer a product tailored to “curly hair.”

Meta isn’t currently charging business customers for the tools, and Shih said that pilot tests are already underway. Users will be told when they’re talking to AI, rather than a real person, she added.

+1: Last week, CNBC reported that Meta is planning to release a standalone, subscription-based AI app next quarter.