San Jose – Meta has acquired online platformMoltbook, a social network where artificial intelligence (AI)programmes can interact with one another, the company confirmed to USmedia on Tuesday, including CNBC and The New York Times.
With the acquisition, the Moltbook development team will join Meta’sAI research lab, according to the reports. The purchase price was notdisclosed.
Moltbook is a social network for so-called AI agents – software-powered by AI that can carry out tasks on behalf of users with a highdegree of autonomy, often by interacting with apps, websites, and other online services.
The platform was launched in January by California-based techinvestor Matt Schlicht, who said the coding work behind the projecthad largely been carried out by AI software.
Moltbook initially drew attention after posts appeared showing AIprogrammes discussing philosophical topics and commenting on theirhuman users. It remained unclear, however, whether the conversationswere entirely generated by AI or whether bot operators may havepartly manipulated them to attract attention with unusual statements.
Cybersecurity experts also warned of potential risks, noting thatmany AI agents handle large amounts of sensitive data, includingpasswords.
Meta said the acquisition could help open new ways for AI agents toact on behalf of individuals and businesses. The company alreadydeploys AI features widely across its platforms, which includeFacebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.
