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Meta on Thursday announced an AI product that nobody asked for but many people could predict: An Instagram-like feed for AI video slop. Known as Vibes, it is not a standalone app, as the AI video feed is built into the Meta AI app. However, if it takes off, Vibes could become an app where creators and users can generate, share, and remix AI-only videos. In the meantime, Vibes wants to “make it easier to find creative inspiration and experiment with Meta AI’s media tools,” as Meta explained in a blog post.
Vibes will work a lot like Instagram and other social media apps, where you can upload short-form video content and share it online — albeit with some big distinctions. You can’t upload your own videos; you will need to generate them with Meta’s AI tools. Alternatively, you can grab an AI video someone else made, modify parts of it with AI, select a new music track, and add captions to make it your own. You can then share your creations with friends and followers. Meta also said that videos from the Vibes portal can be cross-posted to Instagram, Facebook Stories, and Reels.
Why does Meta need Vibes?
AI slop is already prevalent on platforms like Instagram and TikTok. While some of it may be good, it’s certainly not the primary form of content users would want to see on an app like Instagram. So, a dedicated place away from content made by humans is a good start. Moreover, the primary reason for creating a project like Vibes is that AI photo and video content routinely goes viral. ChatGPT’s image generation model went viral earlier this year, thanks to Ghibli art, bringing millions of new users to OpenAI. The Gemini app became the most downloaded iPhone app a few days ago, with the Nano Banana AI video model fueling the surge. It looks like Meta is aiming for that sort of virality, especially since it’s trailing OpenAI, Google, and other big names in the AI space.
That said, Vibes doesn’t make use of Meta’s own AI video generation models to create short-form videos. Instead, Meta’s Alexandr Wang said on Threads that the company is using AI tools from Midjourney and Black Forest Labs for the early version of Vibes, while continuing to develop its own models behind the scenes. The Vibes platform may give us a peek into the future of AI content, which could become a significant source of revenue once we get through the current stage of AI slop. AI video generation tools can provide virtually limitless entertainment, and a platform like Vibes can aid the process.