📜 Description:
June 18, 2025 — Meta-owned Instagram has rolled out a groundbreaking feature called “AI Friends,” now available in select regions including the US, UK, and India.
The new tool allows users to design their own AI characters, choosing from appearance, personality traits, voice tone, and even relationship types — like “best friend,” “study buddy,” or “daily motivator.” Users can chat with these AI characters via text or voice, and responses are powered by Meta’s LLaMA-4 model with enhanced memory and emotional intelligence.
Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri stated,
“AI Friends are designed to bring a fun, helpful, and safe virtual presence to your everyday life — for those moments when you just need someone to talk to.”
This rollout comes after Snapchat’s “My AI” and TikTok’s brief test of AI avatars. However, Instagram’s AI Friends offer a higher degree of customization, real-time emotional context recognition, and conversational depth.
Experts say this could redefine how Gen Z and Gen Alpha engage with technology — not just passively consuming content, but actively interacting with emotionally intelligent AI companions.
Privacy controls are being emphasized. Users will have full data management options, including the ability to delete AI memory, restrict topics, and report unsafe behavior.