Facebook continues to integrate artificial intelligence (AI) into the way people express themselves on the platform. According to the latest information from TechCrunch, the company has started rolling out a new batch of AI visual tools that allow users to enhance their profile photos and text posts with dynamic elements.
One of the most prominent novelties is the option to animate the profile picture. Instead of a static photo, the user can choose to have his portrait “come to life” through a short animation generated by AI, with an effect that is automatically created based on the existing photo and selected styles. Meta describes these animations as subtle movements and facial expressions that add dimension to a profile, but don’t translate into full videos. Such animated profile pictures are meant to remain short, aesthetically pleasing and easy to view on mobile devices.
In addition, Facebook is also introducing animated backgrounds for text posts, which allow users to add dynamic visual elements behind their statuses, for example, rasters with moving gradients, abstract shapes or subtle color animations. These backgrounds are generated by AI based on the text entered and the topic of the post, so a post celebrating a birthday could have a different visual dynamic than one announcing some news or artistic inspiration.
Meta states that the aim of these plugins is to increase the creativity and expressiveness of users, especially in a world where short formats and visual communication are increasingly mixed. These personalized visual features are part of Meta’s broader strategy to make AI an integral part of social interactions, similar to the already introduced options for AI-generated images, video effects and content recommendations.
To generate animated profile photos and backgrounds, the user does not need to have technical knowledge; options appear within the classic camera/creative studio interface and work based on simple text queries or selected styles. Meta also noted that user privacy will be respected as animations and backgrounds are processed in-app or, when possible, locally on the device, and that those AI tools do not share content with third parties or use it for targeted advertising without consent.
The company’s representatives point out that these changes will not automatically affect existing posts. Users will have full control over whether they want to include animations or animated backgrounds, and no feature will be activated by default without their consent.