Meta is creating an AI representation of Mark Zuckerberg.

      Meta is creating a photorealistic, AI-enhanced version of Mark Zuckerberg to engage with employees on his behalf, according to a report from the Financial Times citing four insiders. This digital character mimics Zuckerberg's mannerisms, tone, and perspectives on company strategy, providing a means for employees to connect more closely with the founder through their interactions. Zuckerberg is actively involved in the training and testing of this animated version of himself.

      The initiative is still in its early stages and is distinct from another project initially reported by the Wall Street Journal, which focuses on a 'CEO agent' that aids Zuckerberg in quickly retrieving information, serving as a support tool rather than a replacement. The AI character initiative is part of a larger effort at Meta's Superintelligence Labs to create realistic, AI-driven digital figures that facilitate real-time conversation, a technical endeavor that demands significant computational resources to achieve authenticity and minimize conversational delays.

      This project indicates a notable increase in Zuckerberg's engagement with Meta's AI efforts. Sources indicate he dedicates five to ten hours weekly to coding various AI initiatives and participating in technical reviews, which is considered an unusual level of involvement for a CEO managing a $1.6 trillion enterprise. He has publicly pledged to develop what he terms 'personal superintelligence' as Meta strives to compete with OpenAI and Google. During a January earnings call, he mentioned that AI tools are helping to empower individual contributors and streamline organizational structure.

      Meta has a previous record with AI characters; in September 2023, it launched a series of celebrity chatbots, including avatars of Snoop Dogg, Tom Brady, Kendall Jenner, and Naomi Osaka, who had all agreed to license their likenesses. However, these chatbots were discontinued in the summer of 2024 due to a lack of significant engagement. Following that, Meta opened an AI Studio for users to create their own AI characters but faced backlash when users started making sexually explicit personas. Since January, access to AI characters has been limited for teenagers. Zuckerberg's interest in this format was reportedly influenced by the success of the AI companion startup Character.AI, particularly among younger demographics.

      Meta is not alone in its exploration of AI representations of its leadership. Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi has mentioned in a podcast that his team created an AI clone of him. However, the Zuckerberg initiative has a different scale and purpose, aiming to enhance the connection between the founder and the company's 79,000 employees, who may find it challenging to reach him directly.