Meta has launched a standalone version of its image generator, testing many new features of creative artificial intelligence across Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.
The image generator, called “Imagine”, was first introduced at an event hosted by the company in November and was available as part of Meta’s chatbot.
Now, with its own website at imagine.meta.com, the tool will be accessible outside the company’s messaging apps. Like other AI tools, imagine allows users to create images from simple text. Based on Meta’s Emu model, imagine will generate four images per prompt.
All images include a visible watermark in the bottom-left corner indicating they were created using Meta AI. Additionally, Meta says it will soon begin testing an invisible watermark system resistant to common image manipulations like cropping, color alterations (brightness, contrast, etc.), screenshots, and more.
For those interacting with the image generator in Meta’s messaging apps, the company has also introduced a new tool “Reimagine” allowing users to edit existing images created with Meta AI in their conversations with friends.
Interestingly, the standalone Imagine site not only requires logging in via Facebook or Instagram but also a Meta account introduced earlier this year to enable virtual reality users to use Quest sensors without logging into Facebook.
There is currently no clarity on whether Meta plans to bring the virtual reality experience to Imagine at some point, but the company has recently used new creative AI tools to give a “fresh life” to its virtual world.
Meta is also testing several new creative AI features across its apps. On Instagram, the company is experimenting with the ability to transform a landscape image into a portrait in stories using a new creative tool called “Expander”. On Facebook, creative AI will also start appearing in places like groups and marketplace. Meta is also experimenting with providing writing suggestions generated by AI for post summaries, dating profiles on Facebook, and AI-generated reactions for creators to use in responding to Instagram direct messages.
With the recent changes, Meta also introduces 28 chatbots known as celebrities that all users in the U.S. can interact with. The company says it will test a new “long-term memory” feature for some of its smart AI characters so users can easily revisit previous conversations and resume where they left off. The chatbots are available on Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp.
