Meta has added the capability to embed virtual agents within adverts posted on its social media platforms.
As such, customers may lay a click-to-message link over their ads, which will direct the consumer to a bot-driven experience, either on Messenger or WhatsApp.
From there, if it doesn’t fulfil their needs, the customer can escalate to a live business rep.
In June, Meta introduced these virtual agents for Messenger and WhatsApp as part of an AI solutions suite targeting marketing teams.
Now, as announced at the Meta Connect 2024 developer conference, companies can start to implement them to engage with customers, offer support, and facilitate orders.
The ability to connect the experience, from a social post – be it on Facebook, Instagram, or maybe even Threads – to a potential commerce journey may make these bots much more appealing.
Moreover, the move aids Meta’s long-term ambition to turn WhatsApp into a platform for not only finding and messaging businesses but buying from them, too.
As Meta wrote in a blog post shared with TechCrunch:
From answering common customer questions to discussing products and finalising a purchase, these business AIs can help businesses engage with more customers and increase sales.”
Meta suggests over one million advertisers are currently leveraging its AI ad tools, and last month alone, 15 million ads were created using these tools.
Judie Dench and John Cena Are Coming to a Bot Near You!
In addition to bolstering the capabilities of the bots it offers to enterprise customers, Meta has revamped the virtual agent it makes available to users of its social media platforms.
Meta AI has introduced a feature that allows it to read aloud its responses to user queries using the voices of various celebrities. Users can choose from a selection of celebrity voices, including John Cena, Judi Dench, Keegan-Michael Key, Awkwafina, and Kristen Bell. Additionally, more generic voice options will be available for users to select.
Meta Cofounder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced the new feature at this week’s Meta Connect event, justifying the addition of celebrity voices to “make this fun”. “I think that voice is going to be a way more natural way of interacting with AI than text,” Zuckerberg added. “It is just a lot better.”
During a demonstration of the tool at Connect, Zuckerberg asked the AI, “Hey, are live demos risky?” The AI, adopting Awkwafina’s voice, replied, “Live demos can be risky, yes. They can be unpredictable, prone to technical issues, and potentially embarrassing….”
According to a report by the New York Times, the actors partnered with Meta could have received millions of dollars in exchange for the use of their voices.
The saga recalls when Scarlett Johannson threatened to sue OpenAI for allegedly copying and imitating her voice after she refused to license it to the company in May. She followed the ranks of authors, publications, and artists who had already taken legal action against AI companies.
The actress revealed that OpenAI approached her to lend her voice to a new AI system named “Sky”, allegedly a callback to her performance as an AI in the 2013 film Her. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman had previously posted about Her and Scarlett Johannson’s voice in the film. Although she turned down the offer, Johansson said this did not deter OpenAI from progressing with Sky. The situation is ongoing.
Zendesk Teams with Meta to Launch Customer Messaging App
Pertinent to the ambition above to turn WhatsApp into an increasingly robust CX platform is last month’s news that Zendesk expanded its partnership with Meta to produce a new outbound customer messaging app, Relay.
The new solution, available through the Zendesk Marketplace, introduces “proactive messaging” capabilities for WhatsApp and SMS channels.
According to the company, Relay’s outbound messaging features will enable businesses to proactively engage with customers at scale while seamlessly managing all interactions directly within Zendesk. Zendesk believes companies can deliver more personalized messaging by leveraging these enhanced outbound communication tools, improving their overall customer experience.
