This year’s Meta Connect event was full of exciting announcements from the tech giant behind Facebook and Instagram. While innovations like the next-gen Ray-Ban smart glasses and a new VR headset made a big splash , there’s plenty of other news that content creators should be paying attention to — especially if your main platform is Instagram.
Let’s dive into some of the new Instagram features that Meta has just revealed, as well as how AI is going to transform the way you use all of Meta’s apps.
AI-powered image editing for Instagram
This is probably the single biggest change for creators on Instagram: AI-enhanced images. While there are many AI tools out there for generating images, this is the first time creators can use AI to enhance their content without leaving Instagram. You can look forward to two different ways to use AI to edit your images on Instagram.
Restyle
Remember the AI photo trend from last year? Or even when everyone aged themselves digitally with FaceApp in the far-off year of 2019?
Well, Restyle is a little bit like that. Except it’s a feature that’s built right into Instagram, and it can do a lot more than just make you look old. With this upcoming feature, you simply have to enter a quick text prompt to completely transform the visual style of any image.
Want to generate a watercolor portrait from your selfie? Maybe you want to turn your vacation pictures into a collage? You’ll be able to do it all with Restyle.
Backdrop
While restyle lets you turn an image into an AI-generated masterpiece, Backdrop lets you pretend you’re somewhere else. This AI-powered tool automatically cuts out the background from your image, allowing you to replace it with anything you can dream of — as long as it can be expressed in text.
Love puppies? Create a background where you’re surrounded by them. Always wanted to go to space? Type in “sitting in a spaceship,” and Meta’s AI will have you among the stars in no time.
Meta has made it clear that any image that uses these tools will feature a disclaimer saying it’s generated with AI. There’s no exact release date for these features, with Meta only promising that they’re coming soon.
AI-generated stickers on all Meta apps
Love expressing yourself with stickers in the group chat? Maybe you could never find the exact sticker you needed in the moment? Then you’re in luck.
Over the next month, Meta will be rolling out AI-generated stickers to a few English-language users across WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram, and Facebook Stories. All you need to do is type in your prompt, and you’ll get a custom sticker generated just for you.
How can creators use this feature? It’s not clear yet. While they’re obviously great for chats on Instagram and other Meta apps, it’s not clear if they’ll be available on broadcast channels, or other channels creators use to stay in touch with their audience.
Keep your eyes peeled, and experiment with AI stickers if you get access to them!
Meta AI and AI characters
How many of your conversations start with “Hey Siri” or “Hey Google” these days?
When AI assistants first launched over a decade ago, they made a huge splash. Soon, everyone was trying to find the weirdest bits of information they could get out of Siri, or the strangest things they could make their Google Nest say. Then ChatGPT hit the stage in late 2022, and the craze started all over again.
Meta seems to be trying to combine the two with Meta AI. It’ll integrate seamlessly into WhatsApp, Messenger, and Instagram, as well as Quest 3 headsets and Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses — a piece of gear Meta just announced as well.
So what does this mean for content creators? Think of it a bit like having an AI assistant on Instagram and other Meta apps. You could ask it to recommend content ideas, help you come up with a posting schedule, and even draft outlines for Reels and videos.
Meta’s 28 AI characters (and their profiles)
As great as the Meta AI announcement is, there’s one other side to this platform that’s particularly interesting, especially for content creators: AI characters.
That’s right, if Meta AI is a bit too generic for your taste, you can switch it out for one of the 28 AI characters Meta has created. Each character has its own personality, meaning they’ll react to your inputs differently.
Here are just a few examples of the characters Meta has already rolled out in beta in the United States:
- Dungeon Master, a character that’ll walk you through a choose-your-own adventure chat.
- Sally, a free-spirited friend who’ll help you chill and breathe deep.
- Luiz, an MMA prospect with trash talk to spare.
- Tamika, who’s definitely more obsessed with anime than you are.
- Max, a sous-chef who’ll be sure to tell you whether that chicken parm is undercooked.
The craziest part? Each AI character is portrayed by real personalities like Snoop Dogg, Paris Hilton, Charli D’Amelio, and Tom Brady.
Meta is the first big platform to marry generative AI like ChatGPT with well-known real-world celebrities. And what’s more, you’ll eventually be able to create your own AI character with AI studio, though that feature is currently in early alpha and aimed more at developers.
But we can totally see a world where every creator has their own AI personality they can use to interact with their fans wherever, whenever.
The AI craze is far from over
With this slew of AI-related announcements, it’s clear that Meta has been working on these features quietly for some time. And they’re not alone. YouTube recently announced its own stable of AI-powered features, and who knows what TikTok has up its sleeve. It looks like content creators will soon rely on AI to make their lives easier, or even unlock completely new types of content.
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