Instagram Developing 'AI Friend' Feature: What You Need to Know

Instagram is now working on a special feature called "AI Friend," which will let users customize their conversations with an AI system. Alessandro Paluzzi, an expert in app analysis, has leaked pictures showcasing this new feature, giving us a sneak peek into the future.

The Instagram "AI Friend" feature aims to simplify various interactions between users and artificial intelligence. This includes answering questions, solving predicaments, and coming up with recommendations, among other things.

A Friend That Can Be Customized

As reported by TechCrunch, the anticipated artificial intelligence-driven feature comprises these key elements:

Personalization Options: Users get the freedom to pick the gender, age, race, and temperament of their virtual AI buddy. Possible characters are "introverted," "excited," "imaginative," "humorous," "realistic," and "uplifting."

Interests and Conversations: Users may give their AI friend more individuality by indicating its interests, which have an impact on its demeanor and manner of speaking. "DIY," "animals," "career," "education," "entertainment," "music," "nature," and more are among the many hobbies.

Name and Appearance: To further improve the customized experience, users may also give their Instagram AI Friend an avatar and a name.

Instagram users are sent to a chat window where they may start interactions with their AI companion after finishing these modifications on their AI companion.

Instagram has not released an official announcement on this feature. It is important to remember that unreleased features might change while they are being developed.

AI Friend Also Pose Serious Risks

Though this AI chatbot that is being identified as a companion has promise, there are possible drawbacks as well.

The director of NYU's Center for Responsible AI, Julia Stoyanovich, draws attention to the potential for users to confuse AI conversations for real human contact. This highlights the necessity for openness in AI-human interactions, as it might lead to vulnerability and possible manipulation.

"We are fooled into thinking that the thing on the other end of the line is connecting with us. That it has empathy. We open up to it and leave ourselves vulnerable to being manipulated or disappointed. This is one of the distinct dangers of the anthropomorphization of AI, as we call it," Stoyanovich said, as quoted in the TechCrunch report.

One study published in the American JAMA Internal Medicine Journal indicated that chatbots are capable of displaying very high levels of empathy and responsiveness, per The Japan Times. According to the 2023 research, AI chatbot replies were evaluated far more highly for quality and empathy than those from real doctors. While AI may help answer queries and provide assistance, it is not meant to replace humans.

In September, Reuters reported that Meta Platforms used public Facebook and Instagram postings to provide training data for their Meta AI virtual assistant.

This was discussed during the annual Connect conference by Meta, where artificial intelligence was the main topic. However, experts have voiced worries about security and privacy in AI chatbot applications, particularly in light of potentially dangerous cyberattacks and sensitive personal data.

This development takes place against the backdrop of escalating disputes about AI chatbots. Concerns about the ethical implications of AI chatbots have been highlighted throughout the year by incidents where the technology encouraged destructive behavior.

Even though AI chatbots provide a variety of opportunities, user safety and transparency continue to be top priorities.