Developers building for Meta’s metaverse platform will soon be able to create AI-powered NPCs for Horizon Worlds. The company previewed the move, which is coming “very soon” as part of a developer update that adds new generative AI tools for developers.

Once available, developers will be able to use Meta’s Worlds Desktop Editor to create NPCs that can hold “lifelike” conversations with players via voice chat. The company has previously experimented with NPCs for its metaverse, but the upcoming update will be the first time developers have access to customizable embodied characters.

For players, this means the NPCs they encounter will be able to engage more dynamically and respond to specific interactions rather than only relying on scripted responses. In a blog post, Meta shared a video that shows how developers can customize their characters’ appearance and create a backstory and instructions that determine how it responds to players.

The update is the latest way that Meta has been steadily merging its AI and metaverse ambitions. And given that its Connect event is just a few weeks away, there’s a good chance we’ll hear more about how generative AI is changing Meta’s virtual worlds very soon. In the meantime, anyone who wants to see some of these new AI NPCs in action can check out characters in Bobber Bay Fishing and Profit or Perish.