FACEBOOK PARENT META LAUNCHES STANDALONE AI ASSISTANT APP

Meta Platforms has released a standalone Meta AI app, intensifying competition with OpenAl’s ChatGPT and Google's Gemini, as announced this week.

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The app, unveiled at Meta’s LlamaCon event in Menlo Park, California, allows users to interact with the AI assistant independently of Meta's existing platforms—Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger. For social media users, tech enthusiasts, and industry observers, this move strengthens Meta’s position in the artificial intelligence landscape, offering a dedicated tool for tasks like answering questions, generating images, and managing smart devices.

Powered by Meta’s latest Llama 4 model, the app features a Discover feed showcasing user interactions with the assistant and includes voice conversation capabilities in the U.S., Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, with text-only access in 36 countries. Meta Al, launched in September 2023, has 700 million monthly active users across Meta’s apps, and the standalone app aims to deepen engagement by leveraging user data from Facebook and Instagram profiles. Meta is exploring a subscription model for premium features, similar to competitors’ paid tiers, though the app is currently free. With plans to reach one billion users this year, as statedby CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Meta’s Al app marks a significant step in its ambition to lead the Al sector.

AI ASSISTANT APP FEATURES AND ACCESSIBILITY