Meta Launches AI Characters in US Apps: Enhanced Support for Bing Search and Improved Memory Features

Earlier this year, Meta unveiled a captivating lineup of AI characters inspired by real-life celebrities such as Paris Hilton, MrBeast, Kendall Jenner, Tom Brady, Charli D’Amelio, Snoop Dog, and more. Today, the company announced that all 28 AI characters are now fully deployed across the U.S., enabling users to engage with them via WhatsApp, Messenger, and Instagram. Additionally, Meta revealed that more of its AI characters will soon support Bing-powered search features, while also beginning to experiment with “long-term memory.” This advancement means that the characters will be capable of remembering your conversations, creating a more personalized and engaging experience.

The introduction of long-term memory allows these AI characters to act more like real individuals, remembering what was discussed in previous chats. This feature also enables Meta to retain user data for continuous improvement of its AI offerings.

Meta has announced that the long-term memory capability will initially be available in select characters: Billie (inspired by Kendall Jenner), Carter (a dating coach), Scarlett (a supportive friend), Zach (based on MrBeast), Victor (based on Dwyane Wade), Sally (based on Sam Kerr), and Leo (a career coach). When engaging with this subset, users can seamlessly continue conversations from where they left off.

“Our mission is to create opportunities for deeper connections and enhanced conversational experiences with AI,” the company stated in its blog post. Users will have the option to clear their chat history at any time, with Meta ensuring that its handling of chat data adheres to its Generative AI Privacy guidelines.

In addition to the long-term memory feature, more characters will leverage Bing Search capabilities. Bru (based on Tom Brady) and Perry (based on Chris Paul) have had this feature since their launch, and it will now extend to characters like Luiz (based on Israel Adesanya), Coco (based on Charli D’Amelio), Lorena (based on Padma Lakshmi), Tamika (based on Naomi Osaka), Izzy (an aspiring singer-songwriter), and Jade (a hip-hop enthusiast).

To interact with these AI characters, users can initiate a new message in the app and select “Create an AI chat” on Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp.

This launch positions Meta as a competitor in the burgeoning AI character space, joining others like Character AI, a popular platform developed by Google AI researchers behind LaMDA, which has seen significant growth in the U.S. market. Character AI recently secured $150 million in Series A funding, bringing its valuation to $1 billion.

Meta's innovative approach includes filming MrBeast, Paris Hilton, and numerous other celebrities to create engaging celebrity-inspired AI interactions.