Generative AI is becoming more and more prominent in the social world, and Meta just made a huge step in AI integration. X has also added an AI chatbot to curate content for Premium subscribers. Video is going to become much easier to navigate on Facebook. The TikTok legal battle has heated up as the company challenges the ban.

Let’s take a deeper look at this week’s social media news.

1. Video exploration on Facebook is getting easier

Reels, Live, and longer-form videos will all be in one spot now, eliminating the need to flip around between tabs.

From Meta:

• We’re launching an updated fullscreen video player on Facebook with a consistent design for all video lengths – whether they be Reels, longer videos, or Live videos. 
• The upgraded player has new controls like fullscreen mode for horizontal videos, a slider to skip around in longer videos, and you can tap on the video to bring up additional options that let you pause and jump back or forward 10-seconds. 
• You’ll also see more relevant video recommendations, regardless of their length, to explore content based on your interests.

2. A new AI chatbot has come to all of Meta’s apps

This could be a big shift for social media: you’ll have access to Meta’s generative AI chat engine via all search windows. This will allow you to complete conversational searches directly in the app.

From Meta:

“Built with Meta Llama 3, Meta AI is one of the world’s leading AI assistants, already on your phone, in your pocket for free. And it’s starting to go global with more features. You can use Meta AI on Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger to get things done, learn, create and connect with the things that matter to you.”

3. The TikTok battle is real: Here’s an update

If you need to catch up on this legal battle, SMT has a great recap. The final vote on the TikTok forced sale bill was 79 to 18, and President Biden signed it into law, giving the company nine months to find a new owner.

TikTok has now sued to block the prospective ban.

From CNN:

In its petition filed Tuesday at the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, TikTok and Bytedance allege the law is unconstitutional because it stifles Americans’ speech and prevents them from accessing lawful information.

4. Premium X subscribers in the UK have a new feature

The AI keeps on coming. X has rolled out its new Grok AI chatbot in the UK. The tool is for premium subscribers and serves as a chatGPT-like function within the platform.

5. There are some new Stickers in Instagram’s stories to help you up your game

Let your followers add their own music, post secret stories, and more!

From Instagram:

• Today, we are launching new stickers in Instagram Stories so you can kick off music trends, create your own custom stickers from your photos or videos, post a secret story and more. 
• We’re adding Add Yours Music, Frames, Reveal and Cutouts stickers — helping you get more creative in Stories.