Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg revealed that the company will introduce AI characters created by users through Meta AI studio on Instagram, starting with tests in the U.S. This news coincides with a16z-backed Character.AI's launch of chatbots for AI avatar interactions over calls. Zuckerberg assured the AI characters will be clearly marked as such. Creators like Wasted meme account and Don Allen Stevenson III have already collaborated on chatbots. Zuckerberg emphasized the potential for creators and businesses to engage with their communities through AI avatars, acknowledging the evolving nature of this technology. Meta plans to gradually expand the feature to more creators and users, aiming for a full launch by August. The AI studio was first introduced at Meta's developer conference.