Not To Be Left Behind, Meta Launches New AI Image Generator To Take On OpenAI And Microsoft

Meta Platforms Inc. META has launched a new standalone artificial intelligence (AI) experience for the web, enabling users to generate images by simply describing them in everyday language.

What Happened: The tool, named Imagine with Meta, can generate high-resolution images based on text prompts. The tool leverages Meta’s Emu image generation model and is currently available for free to users, generating four images for each prompt.

If this sounds familiar, that is because Microsoft Corp.’s MSFT Bing Chat and OpenAI’s Dall-E 3 also have similar text-to-image generation options available.

See Also: Morgan Stanley Tried To Push Chatbot Created With OpenAI, But Wealth Managers Prefer Talking To A Person Instead

Meta is expanding the use of Imagine beyond chats, in an effort to increase the availability of its text-to-image generation feature.

Prior to this, Meta had an AI-powered sticker generator, but that was limited to stickers and did not allow users to generate images. It was also accused of being racially biased, consequently raising concerns about the precautions established with Imagine to avoid similar issues.

Although Imagine didn’t undergo any live testing before its launch, Meta has promised to add watermarks to content created using the tool in the upcoming weeks to promote transparency and traceability. These watermarks, although invisible, will be AI-generated and can be detected using a corresponding model.

The rising tide of Deepfakes and AI-generated child abuse images that bypass filters has placed tech companies under scrutiny to verify that works are AI-generated.

Why It Matters: The launch of Imagine signifies Meta’s continued investment in AI technology and its commitment to broadening user engagement through interactive experiences. The company’s move to include watermarks addresses concerns about the misuse of AI-generated content and aligns with global trends toward transparency and traceability in generative AI.

However, the effectiveness of these measures will only be proven over time, and Meta will need to continuously monitor and update its safety protocols to ensure responsible use of its tools.

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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of Benzinga Neuro and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.