Facebook owner Meta announces tests of generative AI ads tool

A product visual provided by Meta to announce a new generative AI ad tool, obtained by Reuters on May 11, 2023. Meta/Handout via REUTERS

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Social media giant Meta Platforms Inc joined the generative AI product race on Thursday, saying it would begin testing artificial intelligence-powered ad tools that can create content like image backgrounds and variations of written text.

A select group of advertisers will be invited to experiment with the tools in a "testing playground" that the company is calling the AI Sandbox, Meta executives said at a press event in New York.