if you You thought Instagram influencers were no longer online, but soon they’ll be able to create AI versions of themselves that you can interact with at any time.
The announcement came from a chain-clad Mark Zuckerberg, who was speaking to YouTuber Kain Sutter (aka Calaway) about his thoughts on AI and who should control the technology. (He also said that Meta will soon be releasing holographic AR glasses, but we’ll save that for another time.)
The AI chatbots will be built in collaboration with several Instagram creators that Meta has partnered with. Zuckerberg said the feature is in testing and will be gradually rolled out to various Instagram users. It’s not yet clear what form these AI chatbots will take, but Meta’s partnered creators will likely create the characters in the company’s AI studio, so they’ll likely behave similarly to the AI characters that Meta debuted last year.
If all goes according to plan, you’ll soon be able to hop into Instagram DMs and chat with AI simulations of your favorite influencers. Save this one for later in your “What could go wrong?” folder.
Here’s more consumer tech news from around the web:
2 hours2 2. Rage
Extreme E, an off-road racing series that uses only electric vehicles in high-speed races, is taking vehicle power systems to a new level.
The new series, called Extreme H, will be exclusively for hydrogen-powered cars. Specially built for the series is the new Pioneer 25, a high-speed racing car that runs entirely on hydrogen. The Pioneer 25 can reach speeds of up to 200 kph (124 mph) and is very agile for an off-road vehicle.
Pioneer aims to usher in a new era of greener motorsport, but there is debate over just how clean hydrogen power actually is.
Hyundai Fun Day
On the more affordable side, Korean automaker Hyundai has launched a new EV. The Hyundai Inster is a compact, four-seat urban hatchback. It has a boxy exterior similar to the Scion or Mini Cooper, and is expected to have a range of up to 355 kilometers (220 miles). The Inster’s battery takes 4.5 hours to fully charge, and it has a top speed of 86 mph, so it’s no race car by any means.
Official pricing has yet to be revealed, but AutoNews reports that it’s expected to be around $26,000 — or at least that amount will be converted into foreign currency. The Inster hasn’t yet gone on sale in the U.S. The car will be released in Korea first, followed by Europe, the Middle East, and other Asian countries.
FCC U
The Federal Communications Commission is trying to make it easier for cell phone users to switch networks. A proposal put forward by FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel this week would require cell phone providers to unlock customers’ phones if they want to use them on a different network. Many providers lock customers to their networks by tying devices to subscription plans that keep them on a network operated by a particular carrier. If the guidance goes ahead, companies would be forced to unlock devices 60 days after activation, meaning users would be free to switch carriers and keep their phones with them.
A formal ruling has not yet been made. The proposal comes in the form of a notice of proposed rulemaking that the FCC has drafted to solicit public comment on a possible future ruling. The proposal itself has not yet been made public, but it could be made public after the FCC votes to move forward with the proposal in a public meeting session on July 18.
One Vape, All Juul
Juul once held near-total dominance over the nicotine vape industry, but its dominance came to an end when U.S. regulators cracked down on sellers of addictive nicotine dispensers, especially those most popular with minors. Of course, that doesn’t mean the demand for vaping has disappeared. Many illegal operations have stepped up to fill the void, and vape pods sold by overseas sellers are relatively easy to find in the U.S.
Latest episode of WIRED Gadget Lab The podcast will feature new podcast host Leon Neyfakh and former WIRED deputy editor Ariel Pardes. It backfired: The e-cigarette warsThe show explores what happened to the nicotine e-cigarette industry, whether e-cigarettes are really better than cigarettes (yes, they are, but you still shouldn’t smoke them), and what the future holds for e-cigarettes.
