--- title: "Facebook Is Paying Celebrities Millions to Turn Them Into Chatbots" description: "Facebook's parent company Meta is paying celebrities millions of dollars to turn them into silly AI chatbots. As The Information reports, one unnamed celebrity got as much as $5 million over two years for a mere six hours of work to be turned into a virtual assistant. Last month, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced the […]" date: "2023-10-12" modified: "2023-10-12" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/facebook-paying-celebrities-millions-chatbots" categories: - "Artificial Intelligence" - "Meta" tags: - "ai chatbots" - "celebrities" - "Meta" --- # Facebook Is Paying Celebrities Millions to Turn Them Into Chatbots ![As The Information reports, one unnamed celebrity got as much as $5 million from Meta to be turned into an AI chatbot.]() *\Image: Meta\* Facebook's parent company Meta is paying celebrities millions of dollars to let it turn them into silly AI chatbots — and to be honest, we're still not entirely sure why. As [*The Information* reports](), one unnamed celebrity got as much as $5 million for a mere six hours of work to be turned into one of the AIs. Last month, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg [announced]() the chatbots, which are [based on the personalities]() of celebrities including Kendall Jenner, Tom Brady, YouTube creator James "MrBeast" Donaldson, and TikTok star Charli D'Amelio. As of right now, they're limited to text only, but according to [Meta's onstage demo](), the company is looking to have these faux celebrities speak with users through video as well. But what does Meta get for its millions of dollars of investments? Besides, who exactly are these chatbots for? Zuckerberg, for one, is convinced of the tech, [telling *The Verge*]() last month that there's a "huge need" and that "people want to interact with Kylie," referring to the "Keeping Up With the Kardashians" star, adding that "it'll be fun for consumers." (While Kylie Jenner isn't currently on Meta's list of celebrity chatbots, her sister Kendall Jenner is.) Whether there's any truth to Zuckerberg's sentiment remains to be seen. And given the reactions so far, which [have been mixed]() to say the least, the feature could turn out to be nothing more than a short-lived and ill-advised attempt to cash in on the current hype around AI. For one, the marketing has been nothing less than confusing. Instead of explicitly selling these AI personalities by using their real names, Meta has given each chatbot an altered moniker, perhaps in an attempt to preempt any potential defamation lawsuits. Jenner's chatbot is called "Billie," for instance, while Brady's assistant is called "Bru." Billie even got her own Instagram account, introducing herself in a [perplexing video]() that may or may not have been the product of a generative AI itself. "Chatting with me is like having an older sister you can talk to, but who can’t steal your clothes," the bot wrote in the video's caption. The eerie clip clearly didn't hit the mark, with confused commenters calling it "so creepy" and "honestly scary." "Is this legal?" one Instagram user wrote. "Did Kendall consent to this?" Then there's the question of having famous people give up their likeness to train an AI at all. As [*Jezebel* points out](), the Screen Actor's Guild, which is currently on strike, [has warned of studios]() trying to scan background performers to avoid paying them more than "one day's pay." The union has [demanded]() protections from developers exploiting actors by creating AI-generated works or reproducing their voices and likenesses without their explicit consent or remuneration. As of right now, Meta's celebrity AIs are still in a limited beta, and considering the [sheer amount of mayhem AI chatbots]() have caused over the past year or so, the company will likely tread very carefully, especially considering these celebrities' reputations are at stake. In other words, it's presumably only a matter of time until users find ways to exploit these chatbots and skirt around Meta's guardrails. When they do, what will their celebrity sources think? Above all, it's a perplexing attempt to shoehorn AI tech into Meta's existing products. Chances are celebs like Brady are simply looking to cash in, not unlike when he [took $55 million]() to endorse the since-collapsed crypto exchange FTX. In short, there's clearly some quick money to be made. But whether that'll remain the case remains to be seen, especially considering the fate of FTX and other NFT ventures that were [heavily endorsed by celebrities]() before the market fell apart. **More on the chatbots:** *[Losing Human Users, Facebook Releasing Chatbots for Lonely to Talk To]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()