It’s no secret that many people find Mark Zuckerberg’s mannerisms and speaking style a little… unsettling. Over the years, the Meta Platforms CEO has often been jokingly compared to a robot, which is probably not helped by his very public enthusiasm for AI. Well, it looks like those jokes are not going away anytime soon, as a recent report claims that Meta is now developing an AI-powered avatar of Zuckerberg himself.
According to the Financial Times, Meta Platforms is creating a photorealistic AI version of its CEO. The company is reportedly training the character on Mark Zuckerberg’s speaking style, tone, and publicly available statements, with the aim of allowing the AI replica to offer advice to employees.
It’s worth noting that this isn’t the first time Meta has experimented with using the likeness of recognisable figures for its AI efforts. Back in 2023, celebrities such as Snoop Dogg, Charli D’Amelio, and Dwyane Wade lent their faces and voices to power the platforms’ AI chatbots. However, the company shut the initiative down in 2024.
Reports suggest that Meta has been developing photorealistic, 3D-animated AI characters capable of handling interactions for some time now. However, it remains unclear whether Meta will make these characters available to the public. This AI version of Mark Zuckerberg, on the other hand, appears to target internal use, allowing employees to interact with the CEO when the real one can’t or doesn’t want to.
Previously, The Wall Street Journal reported that Mark Zuckerberg is also developing an AI agent to assist with his day-to-day responsibilities (provided it doesn’t go rogue). The publication adds that the system can help find answers for him, although many details remain unclear. Admittedly, it would be quite amusing if Zuckerberg ends up asking his own AI counterpart for advice on how to run the company.
(Source: Financial Times, The Wall Street Journal, via Engadet)
