Instagram may be preparing an AI-powered chatbot

Ever since ChatGPT took the world by storm after its release in November, other tech companies have been scrambling to release their own AI-powered chatbots in a bid to stay relevant.

So it comes as little surprise to learn that Instagram is apparently looking into the possibility of incorporating a chatbot into the popular social media app.

Mobile developer and prominent leaker Alessandro Paluzzi claimed on Tuesday that Instagram’s own chatbot will be able to answer questions, give advice, and offer help writing messages.

Notably, a user may be able to choose from one of 30 AI personalities for the chatbot to adopt, though more details on this particular feature aren’t currently available. This fits with comments made earlier this year by Mark Zuckerberg, chief of Instagram owner Meta, when he said that his team is “developing AI personas that can help people in a variety of ways.”

In a screenshot (below) obtained by Paluzzi, Instagram says: “Bring AI to your chats for a more fun and engaging experience.”

Instagram has yet to confirm whether it’s working on such a feature, and even if it is, there’s always a chance that it might not make it past the development stage.

But with interest in powerful chatbots like ChatGPT showing no sign of letting up, and platforms like Instagram always on the hunt for hot new features, there’s a good chance that it will begin testing the chatbot with a select group of users in the not-too-distant future.

Snapchat rolled out a similar feature in February that incorporates ChatGPT into the app. It appears as “My AI,” and you can ask it questions and even bring it into chats with human friends.

But Snapchat’s AI feature has come under fire from some users who find the exchanges “creepy,” while others have expressed privacy concerns about how the AI technology handles information that it receives.

Instagram will no doubt be exploring such issues carefully before it considers rolling out a beta version of its own AI chatbot.

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