Meta is building a photorealistic, AI-powered Mark Zuckerberg to chat with employees, it has been reported

The project

It has been reported that Meta is developing photorealistic, AI-driven 3D characters and has recently prioritised a virtual Mark Zuckerberg as part of the push. Allegedly, the CEO has been involved in training and testing an animated version of himself that could converse with staff and offer feedback — trained on his mannerisms, tone and public statements, and reportedly on his internal thinking about company strategy. It has been reported that this effort is separate from a “CEO agent” prototype aimed at helping Zuckerberg personally by retrieving information and otherwise assisting in his role.

Why it matters

This comes as Meta doubles down on AI: it has been reported that the company spent heavily last year chasing “personal superintelligence,” released a new small model called Muse Spark, and saw its shares jump after the rollout. Zuckerberg has become hands-on, too — it has been reported that he spends five to 10 hours a week coding and sitting in on technical reviews. The move follows wider market interest in conversational avatars and the success of start-ups such as Character AI; Meta has already experimented with celebrity-voiced chatbots and an “AI Studio” for creators.

Risks, scale and context

But this isn’t just a PR trick. It has been reported that photorealistic avatars demand huge compute to avoid lag and the uncanny valley, and Meta has faced controversy over persona features before — users allegedly created sexualised characters, prompting child‑safety concerns and restrictions on teen access earlier this year. Meta has also been bolstering voice tech via acquisitions, according to reports. So what do we get? A founder who’s everywhere — and sometimes a little too close for comfort. Is an AI CEO pep talk reassuring or eerie? Depends how much you like chatting with your boss.

Sources: ft.com