Exclusive: Meta’s AI Chatbot to Speak in Voices of Judi Dench, John Cena, and More, Sources Indicate

Meta Platforms Set to Introduce Celebrity Voices for AI Chatbot

By Katie Paul

NEW YORK – Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook, is expected to announce this week that it has partnered with notable actors, including Judi Dench, Kristen Bell, and John Cena, to provide voices for its Meta AI chatbot. This information comes from a source familiar with the company’s plans.

The new feature will allow users to choose from five celebrity voices for Meta’s digital assistant, which is similar to ChatGPT. In addition to Dench, Bell, and Cena, users will have options that include Awkwafina and Keegan-Michael Key, along with several generic voice choices.

The official announcement of these audio capabilities is anticipated at Meta’s annual Connect conference, which kicks off on Wednesday.

Additionally, Meta is expected to showcase the first version of its augmented-reality glasses at this year’s Connect event, along with discussions regarding its product roadmap, which includes other hardware like the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses. These smart glasses were the first to incorporate an audio version of the Meta AI chatbot last year.

The celebrity voice feature is set to launch this week in the United States and other English-speaking regions across Meta’s suite of applications, which includes Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.

Earlier in the summer, reports surfaced indicating that Meta was in discussions with various celebrities for their involvement in AI voice projects. Recently, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg shared a promotional video on social media showcasing Cena and others engaging in activities while wearing the Ray-Ban Meta glasses.

Meta is racing to deliver generative artificial intelligence tools to its vast user base, especially as it competes with OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, and Google to lead in this emerging field. The company has been enhancing its chatbot capabilities to integrate it more prominently within its applications.

In a related development, OpenAI introduced a similar audio feature for its chatbot in May, but not without controversy, as actress Scarlett Johansson alleged that the voice sounded "eerily similar" to hers, despite her not participating in the project.

Currently, Meta’s assistant can engage in text-based conversations and generate images in response to user queries. The company previously experimented with celebrity-themed text versions of the chatbot, featuring personalities like Paris Hilton and Snoop Dogg, though these did not achieve significant user interest. Meta has since redirected its efforts toward an AI Studio product, allowing content creators on its platforms to develop chatbot versions of themselves.