Meta Launches Standalone AI App with Social Media Integration and Smart Glasses Compatibility

Meta launches a standalone AI app to compete with ChatGPT | TechCrunch

After integrating Meta AI into WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, and Messenger, Meta is rolling out a standalone AI app. Unveiled at Meta's LlamaCon event on Tuesday, this app allows users to access Meta AI in a standalone app, similar to the ChatGPT app and other AI assistant apps. To win over users, Meta is trying to leverage what makes it different from companies like OpenAI and Anthropic -- Meta already has a sense of who you are, what you like, and who you hang out with based on years of data that you've likely shared on Facebook or Instagram. Meta's AI app can differentiate itself from existing AI assistants because it can "[draw] on information you've already chosen to share on Meta products," the company said, such as your profile and the content you engage with. So far, these personalized responses will be available in the US and Canada. You can also give Meta more information about you to remember for future conversations with its AI -- for example, you can tell the AI that you are lactose intolerant, which it could remember before recommending that you go to a wine and cheese tasting on your next vacation. As with any AI product, users should be aware of how Meta may use the data that they share with its chatbots. Meta relies on its wealth of user data to power its targeted advertising business, which makes up the bulk of its revenue. Meta's AI app also introduces a Discover feed, where you can share how you're using AI with your friends -- in a mockup image, Meta shows someone asking the AI to describe them in 3 emojis, which they then shared with their friends. A user's interactions with Meta AI will only be shared to the feed if they choose to do so. This feed might amplify certain generative AI trends, like the recent trend in which people tried to make themselves look like Barbie dolls or Studio Ghibli characters. But then again, not every app needs to have a social feed -- we're looking at you, Venmo.

Meta's New AI App For Phones Is Also Its Hub For Glasses

Nearly 20 years writing about tech, and over a decade reviewing wearable tech, VR, and AR products and apps If you own Meta Ray-Ban glasses, you'll notice that the app that used to be on your phone is being replaced. Or, rather, changed. The Meta View app has suddenly become Meta AI, as of today, and the shift tells a lot about where Meta's glasses - and AI in general - is heading. The change, announced to coincide with Meta's first standalone AI-centric developer conference called LlamaCon, isn't surprising at first glance. The new Meta AI app is very much in the vein of Google Gemini, or ChatGPT: launch it and you'll be able to chat with Meta AI, ask questions, search around for prompt suggestions or viral content, and just use it like a conversational app like all the others. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg made the announcement via Instagram, adding that Meta AI currently has over a billion active users a month in its other apps, prompting a push to make a standalone AI app. However, Meta's also using this app as the main way to pair and manage Ray-Ban glasses. Tabs in the app work just like the previous Meta View app, managing glasses settings, and helping offload photos and videos from the glasses to your phone. That's a different approach than other companies, but also possibly a sign of how Google and others could approach glasses connection on phones, too. What interests me about the app's shift is how it's leaning into AI first, now, whether or not you even own a pair of Ray-Bans. You might find yourself using the app just as a phone tool, which is clearly Meta's intention. Maybe later on you discover that glasses work with it, too, and you consider a pair of Ray-Bans later. The glasses now seem like an extension of Meta AI, instead of a product that has Meta AI onboard. Even though Meta says it's sold a surprising amount of Ray-Bans already, the number of smart glasses out there will never compete with the number of phones. Meta making a play for another compelling phone app looks like a way to try to draw more people into the ecosystem faster than making a pitch to get glasses. The question this also raises is where Meta AI, and its glasses connection, relates to Meta's Horizon app and how it connects to Quest VR headsets. The two apps are tremendously different right now. Horizon is about gaming worlds and Meta's own Horizon avatar-based social hub, without very much AI at the forefront. Meta AI is pushing generative AI chat and camera-aware services on phone and glasses. The two should meet at some point: Meta's moonshot Orion AR glasses prototype I tried last year show a blend of gaming, AI assistance and 3D graphics on a pair of everyday-ish spectacles, but current Meta glasses don't even have displays onboard. That should change this fall when Meta's expected to have a higher-end pair of glasses, possibly $1,000 or more, that have displays and a neural input wristband. The present for Meta's glasses is clearly evolving AI features, though, especially as the glasses compete with Google's in-development Android XR and its own smart glasses. Meta AI, as an app, tells a lot about Meta's intentions going forward, though: AI is the product, no matter what form it takes.

What Is Meta AI? Everything to Know About the Tech Giant's AI Tools

Barbara is a tech writer specializing in AI and emerging technologies. With a background as a systems librarian in software development, she brings a unique perspective to her reporting. Having lived in the USA and Ireland, Barbara now resides in Croatia. She covers the latest in artificial intelligence and tech innovations. Her work draws on years of experience in tech and other fields, blending technical know-how with a passion for how technology shapes our world. Chances are, you use at least one of Meta's biggest four social media and messaging apps daily, whether it's Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp or Messenger. And if you do, then you've no doubt come across Meta AI. The tech giant has woven artificial intelligence into how you interact on these apps, including helping with posts and editing images. Meta is striving to go beyond a basic AI chatbot and instead offer a multimodal, multilingual AI assistant that can handle complex tasks. The company's goal for Meta AI is to become your ultimate personal virtual assistant with free unlimited access to its AI models integrated into Meta's app family. Meta's whole shtick at last September's Connect 2024 event was to make AI tools more fun, accessible and user-friendly. Here's what to know about the social network company's AI tools. Beyond its use in apps, Meta AI also refers to Meta's academic research laboratory. It was formerly known as Facebook Artificial Intelligence Research before Facebook's rebranding to Meta (Facebook, the company, not the social media platform) in October 2021. It focuses on the metaverse -- hence the name Meta -- and develops AI technology to power everything from chatbots to virtual reality and augmented reality experiences. Meta AI isn't the only player in the race to integrate AI into everyday life. Google has its own tools, like Google Assistant and Gemini, its free chatbot, akin to ChatGPT. While Google's AI focuses more on productivity like search results or managing schedules, Meta AI is embedded into your social interactions, offering assistance without you having to ask. With Meta AI, you can snap a photo and ask it to identify its details or edit the images with prompting. Similarly, Amazon's Alexa and Apple's Siri are task-oriented assistants, and ChatGPT or Snapchat's My AI help with conversational experience. But Meta AI goes a step further, blending all those features to make it the "everyday experience," rather than just a stand-alone tool. And so, while those other utility tools feel more like something you consciously use, Meta AI quietly shapes how you connect with others or create content. (Following rumors, however, Meta dropped a new stand-alone app for Meta AI last week, which you can use to chat, search and ask questions.) It's almost sneaky in how it seamlessly integrates into social platforms people use daily, making AI tools harder to avoid. By simply typing "@" followed by Meta AI, you can summon the assistant in chats (even group chats) to offer suggestions, answer questions or edit images. This AI integration also extends to the search functions within Meta's apps, making it more intuitive and easier to find content and explore topics based on what you see in your feed -- what Meta calls a "contextual experience." Following ChatGPT's path, Meta AI now has natural voice conversations. It is multilingual, speaking English, French, German, Hindi, Hindi-Romanized script, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish. You can also choose from various celebrity voices for the assistant, including John Cena, Kristen Bell and Awkwafina. Meta AI is currently available in 21 countries outside of the US: Argentina, Australia, Cameroon, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Ghana, India, Jamaica, Malawi, Mexico, New Zealand, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, Singapore, South Africa, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Though Meta AI isn't available in the EU, the company says it might later join the EU's AI Pact. The AI Act requires companies to provide "detailed summaries" of the data used to train their models -- a requirement Meta has been hesitant to meet, likely due to its history with data privacy lawsuits. Meta AI is being integrated into everyday products like its Ray-Ban Meta glasses. These glasses can assist you in various ways, like remembering where you parked your car (woohoo!). Starting this summer, you will be able to use the voice command, "Hey Meta, start live AI" to give Meta AI a live view of whatever you can see through your glasses. The glasses can also take actions based on what you're looking at. For example, you can ask AI to make a call or scan a QR code for you. You'll also be able to use the voice command, "Hey Meta, start live translation" with your Meta Ray-Bans to automatically translate incoming languages, including English, French, Italian and Spanish. Meta's new AI app is now the primary way you can pair and manage your Ray-Ban smart glasses. Other products include the Meta Quest S3 version of their stand-alone virtual reality headset, which, after the upgrades, are called a mixed-reality headset, and Orion, its prototype of holographic AR glasses, which has been in the making for over a decade. Though Ray-Ban Meta glasses and Quest devices are available across 15 countries, including some European ones, Meta AI is currently available on those devices only in the US and Canada. For now, this feature is available only in the US. Users and businesses will be able to create custom AI chatbots without needing extensive programming knowledge. These so-called AI characters will serve as extensions of themselves or their brands, enabling more engaging interactions with followers or customers. In full transparency, all replies generated by AI will be marked as such. Llama (Large Language Model Meta AI) is a family of LLMs designed to understand and generate human-like text, answer questions, write and even hold conversations. Llama 3.3 is the latest version of this LLM. Released in December 2024, it crammed more power into a smaller size. It's "an instruction-tuned model." "Llama 3.3 is a text-only 70B instruction-tuned model that provides enhanced performance relative to Llama 3.1 70B - and relative to Llama 3.2 90B when used for text-only applications," Meta said in its release notes. The Llama 3.3 text-only model comes in a 70B parameter. Parameters are measured in billions, and define how the model processes inputs, like words or images, and generates outputs by adjusting relationships between them. Meta also plans to release models with smaller parameters optimized for mobile devices and wearables like glasses. You can't completely disable Meta AI across the social media giant's apps, but you can mute the chatbot if you find it annoying. Here's how to do it across the different apps. Tap the rainbow circle in the left side of the search bar, and it'll launch Meta AI: Lastly, choose how long you want to mute notifications for: Then choose how long you want to mute Meta AI notifications for: According to the company, Meta AI is set to become the world's most widely used AI assistant by the end of the year. Over 400 million people interact with Meta AI monthly, with 185 million using it across Meta's products each week. And with a new app just for its AI offerings, Meta AI is likely to get used a whole lot more often.

Meta's new AI app delivers a chatbot with a social media twist

Beyond asking questions and generating content, you can see how other people are using AI and also share how you're using it. Meta has unveiled a new AI app that combines chatbot features with a social media experience. Launched on Tuesday for the iPhone, iPad, and Android devices, the Meta AI app offers most of the usual aspects of an AI app. You can get information, generate content, and analyze photos and other images. But it's the social media part that distinguishes Meta AI from its rivals. "Meta AI is built to get to know you, so its answers are more helpful," Meta said in a news release. "It's easy to talk to, so it's more seamless and natural to interact with. It's more social, so it can show you things from the people and places you care about. And you can use Meta AI's voice features while multitasking and doing other things on your device, with a visible icon to let you know when the microphone is in use." Also: I've been testing AI image generators for years - and my new favorite surprised me To start, you can type your request or speak to the assistant using natural language. Talking to a chatbot isn't a new or novel skill, but Meta claims that the responses via its Llama 4 model are more personal, relevant, and conversational. You can pick Meta's voice from various choices, even ones that mimic certain celebrities like Dame Judi Dench and John Cena. You can also ask the AI to generate or edit an image -- through a text prompt or a voice conversation. By default, Meta AI can search the web for the latest information to answer your questions. But this is done in a straightforward and matter-of-fact way, which is not ideal for a rich conversation. If you want the AI to engage with you in a more natural and friendly manner, you can turn to an option called full duplex. The main drawback here is that this mode doesn't have access to the web or real-time information. Voice conversations, including the full duplex mode, are available in the US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand to start. Also: 5 ways to turn AI's time-saving magic into your productivity superpower Given that Meta owns and runs Facebook and other social networks, the AI is designed to learn and know certain things about you, whether you like it or not. That means it can draw on information you've shared across social media, such as your profile or favorite content. For now, though, personalized responses are available only in the US and Canada. Plus, you can tell Meta AI to remember certain things about you, which it might draw on for future chats. Following the social media theme, Meta AI is also designed to keep you connected with other people. The app includes a Discover feed where you can see the AI prompts that others are using across Meta's networks. If you wish, you can share any of your own prompts that you submit through the app. For anyone who owns a pair of Meta Ray-Bans, the new AI app is the place to control your smart glasses. To that end, the Meta AI app will merge with the Meta View companion app for Ray-Ban Meta glasses. All your paired devices, settings, and media will appear automatically in the Devices tab of the new app. You can also start a conversation on your glasses and continue it in the app. Also: A few secretive AI companies could crush free society, researchers warn Finally, the Meta AI website is getting its own overhaul. The web version will incorporate the same voice interactions and Discover sharing found in the app and let you manage your AI glasses and other features. "People around the world use Meta AI daily across WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, and Messenger," Meta said in the news release. "And now, people can choose to experience a personal AI designed around voice conversations with Meta AI inside a standalone app. This release is the first version, and we're excited to get this in people's hands and gather their feedback."

Meta Targets ChatGPT With Standalone AI App, Smart Glasses Integration

Meta Ray-Ban Glasses (Credit: JOSH EDELSON / Contributor / AFP via Getty Images) Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is a big fan of smart glasses, but how do you get more people to try these futuristic specs? Step one: A new "Meta AI" app that will help people move more seamlessly between their glasses and other smart devices, and get them hooked on the company's version of an AI assistant. The standalone Meta AI app will merge with the Meta View companion app, which is currently needed to set up the Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses. "In some countries, you'll be able to switch from interacting with Meta AI on your glasses to the app," Meta says. "You'll be able to start a conversation on your glasses, then access it in your history tab from the app or web to pick up where you left off. And you can chat between the app and the web bidirectionally." (You can't start in the app or web and pick up on your glasses.) Built with Llama 4, the Meta AI app will "bring you responses that feel more personal and relevant, and more conversational in tone," Meta says. "And the app integrates with other Meta AI features like image generation and editing, which can now all be done through a voice or text conversation with your AI assistant." As part of integrating Meta AI into your daily routine, the app will work in the background as you multitask on your device. An icon will "let you know when the microphone is in use." Personalized responses are available now in the US and Canada, and they can tap into your Facebook and Instagram accounts if they're all linked in the Accounts Center. The Meta AI app is available on iOS or Android. Rival services like OpenAI's ChatGPT, Anthropic's Claude, and Google's Gemini already have their own standalone AI apps. Meta is also giving consumers a glimpse of its future voice tech, which it calls "full-duplex speech technology." It generates voice as a standalone output, rather than simply reading written responses from the AI. Users can toggle on a demo in the Meta AI app, but it may be buggy to start, Meta warns. It's available now in the US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Meta's current vision of the future is glasses-wearing consumers who interact with its AI models through voice, though text will remain an option. The company is also reportedly prepping a higher-end version of its Ray-Ban glasses. Apple is reportedly racing to develop its AI glasses, potentially a pared-down, mass-market version of the expensive Vision Pro. CEO Tim Cook tasked Vision Pro creator Mike Rockwell with developing the company's AI-enhanced Siri, and all signs point to Rockwell putting that tech inside the new glasses. Apple is also reportedly putting cameras into its AirPods and Apple Watches, which could offer similar capabilities to users without needing glasses.

Meta AI chatbot lets users share prompts, responses

Meta is scrambling to grab some of that ChatGPT and Grok buzz with the launch of its own standalone AI app. Built on its Llama 4 LLM, the assistant touts personalization and smoother voice chats, but the most visible feature is a Discover feed showing off how other users interact with it, and even that feels more like a gimmick than a game-changer. Unveiled Tuesday at its LlamaCon AI event, Meta AI is now available on iOS and Android. It's a standalone version of the AI assistant already in Meta products, such as Instagram and Facebook, and it lands in a market already teeming with AI chatbots and answer machines - ChatGPT, Gemini, Apple Intelligence, Grok, Perplexity, Claude, and more. You can type or talk to it, generate text or images, and continue conversations across phones, desktops, and even Ray-Ban Meta glasses. In short, it does most of the same tricks as every other AI assistant. You'll need an account with the social media company formerly known as Facebook to use the app, naturally. Built on unspecified versions of Llama 4 that Meta declined to elaborate on, the AI assistant draws on your connected Meta profiles to personalize responses, and users can also tell it to remember specific details to fine-tune the experience. Meta told us its goal was to develop an AI that knows about a user's world, not just the world at large. Another differentiator is the Discover feed, where users can scroll through an endless list of publicly shared prompts and responses from Meta AI. Many are banal, twee, or absurd, and a few seem suspiciously on-brand for Mark Zuckerberg's well-known taste for masculine energy and Mediterranean aesthetics. With most standalone AI apps offering a familiar mix of chatbot and image-generation features, the real way to judge them is by direct comparison. On that front, Meta AI struggles to impress. When asked to explain the differences between Asian and African elephants - a prompt your humble vulture uses fairly often to test chatbots - OpenAI's ChatGPT was way more thorough. It explained more differences between the two and broke them down in a clearer manner. Not only that, but it it gave details that Meta AI didn't, like reasons for why African elephants have larger ears (thermoregulation). The GPT-4o-powered ChatGPT also gave weights for both species in both pounds and kilos, and described more details about the species names and specifics, too. Also, when I fed a Pauly Shore quote into both, "If you're edged 'cause I'm weazin' all your grindage, just chill," ChatGPT told me where it came from and that it was, in fact, a Pauly Shore quote, while Meta just explained the terms. It also got "grindage" wrong, which in the context refers to food, not "an informal term for the effort or work someone puts in, often to achieve something," per Meta. But it really struggled with images. Most leading image generators today have ironed out the worst of the uncanny valley oddities: deformed hands, warped faces, and flat textures. But Zuckercorp's app still stumbles over those basics. Take the above picture pulled from the Discover feed, for example. It looks fine at first glance, until you notice some of the mangled hands, faces, and a general flatness that makes it feel like it was churned out by a model from several generations ago. For a side-by-side comparison, I asked both ChatGPT (via the iOS app) and Meta AI to draw me a photorealistic image of a Buddhist monk with the details (e.g., location, age of the monk, etc) left up to the models. ChatGPT's output is on the left below, while Meta AI's is on the right. Again, that Meta image shows flat rendering: the monk's left hand appears garbled, and the statue of the Buddha in the background looks like a low-resolution video game model that failed to render properly. The one thing that Meta AI has going for it is the speed. Whereas GPT-4o took a couple of minutes to spit out the above result, citing server load, Meta AI delivered its image nearly instantly. When asked about the image quality issues, Meta told us that it's focused on balancing latency with image quality and would continue to tweak that balance in the future. Overall, Meta has been catching quite a bit of flak over its latest family of LLMs. Meta reportedly got caught submitting a Llama 4 experimental variant to AI comparison site LMArena that was specially crafted to give it an edge over the competition. As we reported, the variant wasn't intended for public release and LMArena described it as "a customized model to optimize for human preference." LMArena rankings are based on user scoring of various AI models. After updating their evaluation policies, LMArena assessed the standard, publicly available version of Llama 4 Maverick, which ranked significantly lower. As of writing, no Meta AI model ranks higher on the leaderboard than 38th place (well, apart from the Nvidia-built Llama-3.3-Nemotron-Super-49B-v1 variant at number 22). Take a look around the internet and you'll find no shortage of people criticizing the capabilities of the various Llama 4 models, suggesting this could be another case of Meta trying to ride the AI hype wave without actually being ready for the competition. And speaking of complaints, how could we forget that lately OpenAI's o3 and o4-mini models hallucinate more than older versions. ®

Meta's Defense of Its Rogue AI Sounds Painfully Familiar

Meta Platforms Inc. isn't the only company developing an AI chatbot. But it is the one best placed to direct billions of people, and their intimate personal data, toward AI in an instant, which is what it is doing: Meta's bots now appear prominently within Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. The rollout has been lightning fast. As of Tuesday, there's also now a standalone Meta AI app. Its responses will be similar to what's offered by competing AI apps like ChatGPT, with the added ability to draw on "information you've already chosen to share on Meta products, like your profile, and content you like or engage with," Meta said. This is Meta's unique advantage in the race to have everyday consumers adopt AI. It also means the company needs to be more careful than others. Putting experimental tech into trusted apps, used by hundreds of millions of teenagers, brings with it additional responsibilities on safety. Meta is not meeting those, if recent headlines are any guide.

Facebook parent Meta Platforms launches standalone AI assistant app

April 29 (Reuters) - Facebook parent Meta Platforms (META.O), opens new tab on Tuesday launched a separate app for its Meta AI assistant, similar to those offered by Microsoft-backed (MSFT.O), opens new tab OpenAI and Alphabet's (GOOGL.O), opens new tab Google. The standalone app comes as Meta looks to boost the AI assistant's usage, apart from being available within the company's family of platforms - WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook and Messenger. It also signals CEO Mark Zuckerberg's move to strengthen the company's position in the competitive AI landscape, taking on major rivals such as OpenAI and Google. Meta's separate app will provide more personalized responses based on context and other user-specific elements related to the user's Facebook and Instagram accounts. Llama 4, Meta's latest large language model, powers the Meta AI assistant and is designed to rival the latest AI models from OpenAI, Google, Deepseek and Anthropic, with improved reasoning, multilingual capabilities and efficiency. The new app will integrate with Meta's AI glasses and merge with the existing companion app, the company said. Meta is hosting its first-ever AI developer event, dubbed LlamaCon, on Tuesday, which will center around its Llama family of AI models. The Instagram owner is set to report its first-quarter results on Wednesday after markets close. Meta will start testing a paid subscription for the AI chatbot's advanced versions in the second quarter, Reuters had reported in February. However, the subscription service might not rake in meaningful revenue until next year at the earliest, a source had said. Meta AI, which was launched in September 2023, is a virtual assistant that uses large language models to perform reasoning tasks. Reporting by Akash Sriram in Bengaluru; Editing by Shreya Biswas Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab Suggested Topics:Artificial Intelligence

Meta launches standalone AI app to take on ChatGPT

Meta Platforms is launching a standalone artificial intelligence app and going head-to-head with ChatGPT maker OpenAI, the company said Tuesday. The news confirms previous CNBC reporting from February, citing sources familiar with the matter. Meta's debut of a standalone Meta AI app follows similar efforts by Google and Elon Musk's xAI. Those two companies recently released individual apps for their respective digital assistants Gemini and Grok. Meta AI has roughly 700 million active monthly users, Meta finance chief Susan Li said in January. That was up from 600 million in December.

Meta's ChatGPT competitor includes conversational voice chat and a social feed

The standalone Meta AI app can learn from data you share from Facebook and Instagram. Meta didn't wait for Tuesday's LlamaCon keynote to unveil its first big AI announcement of the week. The company launched a standalone app that competes with ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude and other multimodal AI chatbots. Sticking to the company's roots, the app also includes a social feed and the ability to draw on info from your profile and posts you've shared. The Meta AI app offers similar features to rival chatbots, including text and voice chats, live web access and the ability to generate and edit images. But it also includes a Discover feed that (for better or worse) adds a social element to your AI queries. The company describes it as "a place to share and explore how others are using AI." It highlights the prompts that others share and lets you "remix them to make them your own." Meta stresses that none of your private chats will post to others' feeds unless you explicitly choose to share them. For users in the US and Canada, Meta AI can personalize its answers based on data you've shared with Meta products. This includes info like your social profile and content you like or engage with. The company says linking your Facebook and Instagram accounts to the same Meta AI account will provide "an even stronger personalized experience." If you don't want that, this might be a good time to check your privacy settings. The app has a live conversation mode for users in the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Much like a similar feature in ChatGPT and Gemini, Meta's version lets you and the AI assistant listen and speak simultaneously, with a natural flow that should feel more like a real conversation. However, Meta only describes it as a demo that provides "a glimpse into the future," suggesting it's still in an early stage. This mode also doesn't offer live web access. The Meta AI web version includes the app's new features, including voice interactions and the Discover feed. This version has a few differences, including enhanced image generation (more presets and new editing modes for style, mood, lighting and colors). The web version also lets you test a rich document editor (in some countries) that can spit out text- and image-rich docs to export as PDFs. The app has merged with the Meta View companion app for the company's Ray-Ban glasses collab. The company says it will include a handoff feature that lets you start a conversation on the glasses and then access it in your history tab on the app or web. After installing the update, you can manage your glasses in the Meta AI app's Devices tab.

Meta launches AI app, Zuckerberg chats with Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella at developer conference

MENLO PARK, Calif. (AP) -- Working to differentiate itself in the crowded field of artificial intelligence, Meta Platforms has launched a standalone AI app -- with a social media component -- to compete with OpenAI's ChatGPT. The Meta AI app, built with the company's Llama 4 AI system. It includes a "discover" feed that lets users see how others are interacting with AI. It also has a voice mode for interacting with the AI. "It's smart for Meta to differentiate its ChatGPT competitor by drawing from the company's social media roots. The app's Discover feed is like a version of the OG Facebook Feed but only focused on AI use cases," said Forrester research director Mike Proulx. By letting users link their Facebook and Instagram accounts, the Meta AI app "gets a leg up on instantly personalizing its user experience with social media context." Meta has taken a different approach to AI than many of its rivals, releasing it for free as an open-source product. The company says more than a billion people use its AI products each month. At the Menlo Park, California-based tech giant's inaugural conference, LlamaCon, on Tuesday Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg chatted with Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella in a technical discussion around the speed of AI development and how the technology is shifting both their companies -- where AI is already writing code -- as well as the world. Acknowledging there is a lot of "hype" around AI, Zuckerberg said "if this is going to lead to massive increases in productivity, that needs to be reflected in major increases in GDP." "This is going take some multiple years, many years, to play out," Zuckerberg said. "I'm curious how you think, what's your current outlook on what we should be looking for to understand the progress that this is making?" Nadella brought up the advent of electricity, saying that "AI has the promise, but you now have to sort of really have it deliver the real change in productivity -- and that requires software and also management change, right? Because in some sense, people have to work with it differently." He said it took 50 years before people figured out to change how factories operated with electricity. Zuckerberg replied "well we're all investing as if it's not going to take 50 years, so I hope it doesn't take 50 years."

Meta launches standalone AI chat app based on Llama 4 for iPhone and iPad - 9to5Mac

Meta has released its first standalone AI app on the iPhone and iPad. Meta AI is built on Meta's Llama 4 model and provides a dedicated interface for text and voice chat. There's also a social feed for discovering new ways to use AI. Meta AI replaces the Meta View app that was previously only used for managing Meta smart glasses. Meta already integrated its AI chatbot across Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp. Meta AI also has a standalone experience on the web at meta.ai. Launching a dedicated AI chat bot app, however, brings focus to the technology with a competitor to ChatGPT, Claude, Grok, and Gemini apps. While speaking with AI using your voice isn't new, we've improved our underlying model with Llama 4 to bring you responses that feel more personal and relevant, and more conversational in tone. And the app integrates with other Meta AI features like image generation and editing, which can now all be done through a voice or text conversation with your AI assistant. We've also included a voice demo built with full-duplex speech technology, that you can toggle on and off to test. This technology will deliver a more natural voice experience trained on conversational dialogue, so the AI is generating voice directly instead of reading written responses. It doesn't have access to the web or real-time information, but we wanted to provide a glimpse into the future by letting people experiment with this. You may encounter technical issues or inconsistencies so we'll continue to gather feedback to help us improve the experience over time. Using the Meta AI app only requires a standalone Meta account. Optionally, you can choose to connect your Facebook or Instagram account to personalize your Meta AI experience. We're using our decades of work personalizing people's experiences on our platforms to make Meta AI more personal. You can tell Meta AI to remember certain things about you (like that you love to travel and learn new languages), and it can also pick up important details based on context. Your Meta AI assistant also delivers more relevant answers to your questions by drawing on information you've already chosen to share on Meta products, like your profile, and content you like or engage with. Personalized responses are available today in the US and Canada. And if you've added your Facebook and Instagram accounts to the same Accounts Center, Meta AI can draw from both to provide an even stronger personalized experience for you. Naturally, Meta includes a social component with a dedicated feed where people can share and discover AI prompts, something that already happens organically on other social media feeds.

Meta takes on ChatGPT with new standalone AI app -- here's what makes it different

Meta Platforms has introduced its first standalone AI application, Meta AI, aiming to position itself alongside its biggest competitors like OpenAI's ChatGPT and Google's Gemini. The announcement was made at Meta's inaugural LlamaCon developer conference, highlighting the company's strategic shift towards expanding its presence in the evolving AI landscape. Powered by Meta's latest large language model (LLM), Llama 4, the Meta AI app is designed to deliver accurate and context-aware responses. A distinguishing feature of this app is its integration with Meta's suite of social platforms, including Facebook and Instagram. Unlike other chatbots that operate independently, Meta AI hopes to stand out with advanced AI functionalities combined with the social interactions already familiar to its user base. One notable feature is the "Discover" feed, which enables users to view and engage with AI-generated content shared by their connections across Meta's platforms. This approach leverages Meta's existing social infrastructure to provide a more interconnected AI experience. Beyond text-based interactions, Meta AI introduces a voice interaction system supporting full-duplex communication. This means, you can both speak and listen to the AI simultaneously without waiting, allowing for more natural conversational exchanges. The app also emphasizes personalization. With user consent, data from users' Facebook and Instagram profiles will be used to help the AI remember user preferences, then tailor responses based on individual interests, social connections, and past interactions. For example, when seeking restaurant recommendations, the AI might consider a user's dining history or friends' check-ins. While this level of contextual awareness enhances user experience, it also brings forth discussions about data privacy and usage, which Meta acknowledges and addresses through its privacy policies. The Meta AI app is now available on iOS and Android in select markets, with broader rollout planned in the coming months. It is currently free. But, like popular chatbots, we can only assume that a potential premium subscription option is coming in the future. By introducing a socially integrated AI assistant, Meta is taking a distinct approach that could set it apart from other players. Whether this strategy will successfully attract and retain users remains to be seen as the company navigates an increasingly competitive AI landscape.

Meta Launches New AI App

Facebook parent company Meta today announced the launch of Meta AI, its first standalone AI app. Meta AI has already been integrated into Instagram, WhatsApp, Messenger, and Facebook, but now it is also available in a dedicated app. The Meta AI app is built with Llama 4, and Meta says the app is its first step toward building a more personal AI that's designed around voice conversations. After downloading the Meta AI app, Meta AI will ask you personal questions so that it can get to know you, which Meta claims will provide "more helpful" answers. Meta AI is "easy to talk to," and has been created to be "natural to interact with." The Meta AI voice features can be used in the background while multitasking, so you can use other apps while continuing to speak to the AI. Voice conversations will feel personal, relevant, and conversational in tone. The voice conversation feature is available in the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand as of now. The app integrates image generation and editing too, both of which can be done through a voice or text conversation with the AI assistant. Llama 4 is able to search the web for finding product recommendations and delving into topics for research, with Meta providing "conversation starters" to inspire searches. Meta says that it is using its decades of work on personalizing experiences on social media to make Meta AI more personal. It is able to remember facts about you, and it can pick up details based on context. It is also able to draw on information you've already shared on Meta platforms, like your profile and content that you like to engage with to provide more personalized responses.

Meta's first dedicated AI app is here with Llama 4 -- but it's more consumer than productivity or business oriented

Join our daily and weekly newsletters for the latest updates and exclusive content on industry-leading AI coverage. Learn More Facebook parent company Meta Platforms, Inc. has officially launched its own, free standalone Meta AI app, a move aimed at delivering a more personal and integrated AI experience across mobile devices, the web, and Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses. The app is available on iOS through the Apple App Store and on the web -- with no mention of when an Android version could come. Powered by a version of its new, divisive quasi open source Llama 4 mixture-of-experts and reasoning model family, the new Meta AI app focuses on learning user preferences, maintaining conversation context, and providing seamless voice-first interaction. It requires a Meta products account to log in, though users can sign-in with their existing Facebook or Instagram profiles. It comes ahead of the kickoff of Llamacon 2025, Meta's first AI developer conference taking place this week at its office campus headquarters in Palo Alto, California, centered around its Llama model family and general AI developer tools and advances. With the rise of more AI model challengers in the open source and proprietary domains -- including everyone from OpenAI with ChatGPT to Google with its Gemini 2.5 model family and lesser-known (at least, to Western audiences) brands like Alibaba's new Qwen 3 -- Meta is keen to show off the power and capabilities of its own, in-house Llama 4 models. It is also seeking to make the case to third-party software developers that Llama 4 is a powerful and flexible open(ish) source model family they can trust to build their enterprise products atop of. However, with this new Meta AI app launch, I'm not sure it is the most successful example. More on that below. Text, image, and voice out-of-the-box -- with document editing coming The Meta AI app represents a new way for users to interact with Meta's AI assistant beyond existing integrations with WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, and Messenger. It enables users to have natural, back-and-forth voice conversations with AI, edit and generate images, and discover new use cases through a curated Discover feed featuring prompts and ideas shared by the community. Alongside traditional text interaction, Meta AI now supports voice functionality while multitasking. An early full-duplex voice demo allows users to experience natural, flowing conversations where the AI generates speech directly, rather than simply reading text aloud. However, the demo does not access real-time web information and may display occasional technical inconsistencies. Voice features, including the full-duplex demo, are currently available in the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. On the web, meta.ai has been revamped to mirror the mobile experience, offering voice interaction, access to the Discover feed, and an improved image generation tool with enhanced style, mood, and lighting controls. The web version seems especially powerful and capable for image creation, with many pre-set styles and aspect ratios to choose from. In my brief hands-on tests with the mobile app, the image creation tools seemed far more limited and I wasn't able to find a way to switch the aspect ratio. In both formats, the image quality was far lower than dedicated and rival AI image generators such as Midjourney or OpenAI's GPT-4o native image generation. Meta is also testing a rich document editor and document analysis features in select countries. Discover what other users are doing and creating with AI A standout feature of the app is its "Discover" section, available by swiping up from the main chatbot interface, where users can browse and remix prompts, ideas, and creative outputs shared by others. This feed highlights how people are using Meta AI to brainstorm, write, analyze social media content, create stylized images, and explore playful concepts -- such as designing pixel-art scenes or seeking AI-generated companions. Posts from creators include both text-based prompts and image results, giving others a starting point to experiment with the AI in new ways. It also coincides with tech journalist Alex Kantrowitz's (Big Technology) recent observation in a LinkedIn post that AI is steadily replacing social media as a means of entertainment and content discovery for a growing number of users. This peer-sharing dynamic aligns with Meta's intent to make AI not only useful but culturally engaging, offering a social layer to what is traditionally a one-on-one assistant interaction. Seeing the future For users of the augmented reality Ray-Ban Meta glasses, the Meta AI app replaces the former Meta View app. Existing device pairings, settings, and media content will migrate automatically upon updating. This integration enables users to move from interacting with their glasses to the app, maintaining conversation history and access across devices and the web, although conversations cannot yet be initiated on the app and resumed on glasses. Memory and personalization Personalization stands at the core of the new Meta AI experience. Users can instruct Meta AI to remember certain interests and preferences, and the assistant also draws from user profiles and engagement history on Meta platforms to tailor responses. This feature is currently available in the U.S. and Canada. Users who link their Facebook and Instagram accounts through the Meta Accounts Center can benefit from deeper personalization. When I downloaded the app to try it, it automatically suggested and pre-filled my Instagram account login. Quick hands-on test My initial tests of the Meta AI app interface reveal both the impressive functionality of Llama 4 and its current limitations in everyday tasks. On the one hand, the assistant is capable of generating helpful responses, offering analysis and advice, and generating images rapidly. However, some interactions expose severe limitations that have been mostly solved in other AI apps and the large language models (LLMs) powering them behind the scenes. In one case, Meta AI initially miscounted the number of 'M's in the word "Mommy," correcting itself only after being prompted to review its answer. A similar pattern occurred when counting the letter 'R' in "Strawberry," where it first responded with 2 before correcting to 3 after further clarification. Another response incorrectly evaluated which number is larger between 9.11 and 9.9, a task involving basic decimal comparison. These moments underscore the model's limitations when it comes to attention to detail in short factual reasoning tasks -- a known area where even advanced language models can falter. The assistant's ability to acknowledge mistakes, explain its reasoning, and offer transparent corrections reflects progress toward more interactive and self-correcting AI experiences. But overall, I can't recommend it being used for workplaces right now. Meta's broader vision Speaking about the broader strategy in a video and audio interview with AI focused YouTuber and podcaster Dwarkesh Patel, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg emphasized that personalization and seamless, low-latency interaction are priorities for the company's AI development. "If you fast-forward a few years, I think we're just going to be talking to AI throughout the day about different things we're wondering about," Zuckerberg said. He highlighted the company's focus on building systems that are quick, natively multimodal, and integrated deeply into daily life. Zuckerberg also discussed Meta's approach to open-source AI, noting that Llama 4 models are designed to balance efficiency, intelligence, and accessibility. He reinforced that Meta's commitment to open-source AI development aims to ensure broad innovation while maintaining American leadership in AI model standards, particularly in securing values and system integrity. Everyday AI? As Meta positions itself to compete in the increasingly crowded personal AI market, the launch of the Meta AI app marks a significant step toward making intelligent, personalized assistants part of everyday life for millions of users worldwide. With active user feedback and a growing repository of shared use cases through the Discover feed, Meta is clearly investing in an ecosystem where AI evolves in tandem with community engagement and real-world demands. The big takeaway for enterprises: Meta AI is likely to redefine customer expectations across sectors While the Meta AI app is designed first and foremost for consumers, its launch carries broader implications for businesses across every sector. Meta, with an audience of nearly 4 billion users globally across its apps and hardware products, has the scale to fundamentally shift public expectations around technology. Even if only a small fraction of its users download and engage with the Meta AI app, it will introduce millions -- possibly hundreds of millions -- of non-technical consumers to regular, casual interaction with AI, and showcase the possibilities for conversational interaction in text and voice, rapid image generation, and problem solving. This mainstream exposure will likely accelerate a shift in what people expect not just from consumer apps, but from workplaces, service providers, retailers, and every kind of merchant or vendor they interact with. When individuals grow accustomed to personalized, conversational AI that can understand context, anticipate needs, and assist with creative or informational tasks, they will expect and demand similar functionality everywhere -- from their own workplaces and those businesses and enterprises they purchase from. Businesses that do not offer accessible, responsive AI-driven experiences risk feeling outdated or unresponsive compared to what consumers increasingly take for granted. In effect, Meta's new app may not simply compete with other AI offerings; it could redefine the baseline for digital interaction standards across industries. Enterprises, regardless of size or sector, will need to rethink how they incorporate AI into customer experiences, service channels, and even internal operations if they want to meet the new cultural expectations this widespread consumer familiarity with AI is about to establish.

Meta has finally launched its ChatGPT competitor

According to Meta's April 29 press release, the new standalone AI app is built on the company's latest Llama 4 model. It's pitched as a hyper-personalized assistant for users already living inside the Meta ecosystem: WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook -- you know the drill. In a choice Instagram video, Zuckerberg, framed in a pair of Meta Ray-Ban glasses, pitched the app as a product built for voice-first conversations. One standout feature is the Discover feed. It lets you see how your connections use Meta AI, surfacing prompts they've tried (with their permission). Meta says you're in full control over what, if anything, gets shared. Since personalization is at the heart of the experience, it's worth noting: opting out of having your data scraped to train Meta's AI is nearly impossible. The app is also meant to pair with Meta's Ray-Ban smart glasses. You can kick off a conversation via voice through the glasses, then jump into the app or web interface later to pick up the thread. Other than that, though, the app functions the same as it does on Messenger and IG, just now wrapped in a separate, slick interface accessible from both your phone and desktop. With LlamaCon underway in California, this standalone launch isn't just a product drop -- it's a litmus test. Meta needs to show investors and developers that its AI ambitions are alive and accelerating. Back in January, Zuckerberg committed a staggering $60 billion to U.S.-based data centers to power Meta AI. The launch could also be the nudge OpenAI needs to hit the gas on its own social-facing ChatGPT app. CEO Sam Altman joked about the idea months ago, when Meta first teased its standalone AI app. Now, signs point to OpenAI quietly building something that might make that joke a reality.

Meta AI is here to take on ChatGPT and give your Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses a fresh AI upgrade

The Meta AI personalizes its behavior based on your Instagram and Facebook activity Meta AI is moving into its own space with the launch of a new standalone app. Fueled by Meta's new Llama 4 AI model, the new app is simultaneously a standalone product and a replacement for Meta View, which was previously used to connect to the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses. Meta's making a big play here, positioning voice interactions as the most intuitive and natural way to interact with your AI. The app supports hands-free chatting and even includes a demo of full-duplex speech, a feature that lets you talk and listen at the same time. That's very useful considering how keen Meta is to connect Meta AI with the company's larger product portfolio, especially the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses. These AI-enabled spectacles will now operate through the Meta AI app, replacing the Meta View app they currently rely on. That means you can start a conversation on one platform and easily transition to another. All you need to do is open the Devices tab on the app and replicate your settings and saved information. Ask a question through your smart glasses, get a reply from Meta AI, and then pick up that same thread on your phone or desktop later. You can switch from voice chat in your glasses to reading the conversation in your app's history tab. For example, you could be on a walk and ask Meta AI through your glasses to find a nearby bookstore. The answer will be saved in your Meta AI app for later review. The other major element of the Meta AI app is the Discover feed. You can see publicly shared things like successful prompt ideas and images they've generated on the feed, then remix them for your own purposes. Additionally, the desktop version of Meta AI is also getting revamped with a new interface and more image generation options. There's also an experimental document editor for composing and editing text, adding visuals, and exporting it as a PDF. Meta has spent many months spreading Meta AI across Instagram, Facebook, Messenger, and WhatsApp, but now, this is the first time Meta AI isn't hosted within another mobile app. The AI's connection to Meta's other apps does give it an edge (or a flaw, depending on your view) by allowing it to adapt its behavior based on what you do on those other apps. Meta AI draws on your Instagram and Facebook activity to personalize its answers. Ask it where to go for dinner, and it might suggest a ramen spot your friend posted about last week. Ask for tips on an upcoming vacation, and it'll remember you once posted that you love to "travel light but overpack emotionally" and suggest an itinerary that might fit that attitude. Meta clearly wants Meta AI to be central in all your digital activities. The way the company pitches the app, it seems like you'll always be checking in with it, whether on your phone or on your head. There are obvious parallels with the ChatGPT app in terms of style. But Meta seems to want to differentiate its app from OpenAI's creation by emphasizing the personal over the broader utility of an AI assistant. And if there's one thing Meta has more of than nearly anyone, it's personal data. Meta AI tapping into your social data, voice habits, and even your smart glasses to deliver responses designed for you feels very on-brand. The idea of Meta AI forming a mental scrapbook of your life based on what you liked on Instagram or posted on Facebook might not appeal to everyone, of course. But if you're concerned, you can always put on the smart glasses and ask Meta AI for help.

Meta's AI push expands with new mobile app

Driving the news: In a blog post, Meta said the new app incorporates its latest Llama 4 large language model with an early version of an improved voice experience that allows for natural conversation, similar to ChatGPT or Google's Gemini. What they're saying: "Meta AI is built to get to know you, so its answers are more helpful," the company said in its blog post. "It's easy to talk to, so it's more seamless and natural to interact with. It's more social, so it can show you things from the people and places you care about." The big picture: Meta has been gradually adding its AI assistant across its product line, including Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. Yes, but: Given Meta's business model, the AI push raises a host of questions about how the company's AI will keep users engaged and interact with advertising over time.

Meta Launches Stand-Alone AI App to Rival ChatGPT

Meta launched a stand-alone AI app today -- as the company tries to take on ChatGPT maker OpenAI. The company announced it is rolling out the new Meta AI app at its LlamaCon event on Tuesday. The app brings together all of Meta's AI tools in one place, after the company already added Meta AI to WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, and Messenger. Meta AI will allow users to access the company's machine-learning tech in a single platform -- similar to apps like ChatGPT. "We're launching a new Meta AI app built with Llama 4, a first step toward building a more personal AI. People around the world use Meta AI daily across WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, and Messenger," the company says in a blog post. "And now, people can choose to experience a personal AI designed around voice conversations with Meta AI inside a standalone app. This release is the first version, and we're excited to get this in people's hands and gather their feedback." To attract users, Meta is highlighting its key advantage over companies like OpenAI -- an existing understanding of a user's individual preferences, social connections, and interests, built from years of data gathered through platforms like Facebook and Instagram. "Your Meta AI assistant also delivers more relevant answers to your questions by drawing on information you've already chosen to share on Meta products, like your profile, and content you like or engage with," the company explains. "Personalized responses are available today in the U.S. and Canada. And if you've added your Facebook and Instagram accounts to the same Accounts Center, Meta AI can draw from both to provide an even stronger personalized experience for you." A notable addition to Meta's AI app is the Discover feed, where users can share how they are using AI with their friends. This feed displays prompt-by-prompt examples that others -- including friends on Instagram and Facebook -- have chosen to make public. These shared AI posts can be liked, commented on, shared, or remixed into new content. In a sample image (above), Meta shows a user asking the AI to describe them in three emojis, and then sharing the result with friends. Only interactions that are deliberately shared will appear in the feed.

I tried the new Meta AI app: 3 unexpected features

The Meta AI app is built with the company's Llama 4 model. Credit: Anadolu / Contributor / Getty Images Meta has spent the better part of a year integrating Meta AI with Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and its other existing services, but hadn't yet launched a standalone experience for Meta AI fans. That all changed yesterday at LlamaCon, the company's inaugural AI developer conference, when the company finally launched the Meta AI app. The new app is built with Meta's Llama 4 model. It's a full-fledged competitor to ChatGPT, which became the fastest-growing app in history after its launch. Already, AI enthusiasts are digging into the app to see what sets it apart from the competition. Per Meta's press release, the big takeaway is personalization. Not only does the app integrate with your Facebook and Instagram accounts to give you more personalized responses, but it also has a memory feature, so it can reference past discussions and add more context to future ones. This isn't necessarily unique to the Meta AI app since Grok also does this with people's X accounts, and every other major AI chatbot has the memory feature. However, we would argue the ability to work with both Facebook and Instagram is fairly significant, considering their widespread popularity. That also gives Meta AI more potential data to draw from to make its answers more personalized. With that said, there's more to the Meta AI app than just its personalization and memory capabilities, and some of those features are fairly unique to the Meta AI experience. So, after downloading and experimenting with the new Meta AI app, here are three big features to check out. Let's start with the most obvious one, and that's the Discover feed. Upon opening the app, you'll be able to engage with it by tapping on the compass icon. It works almost exactly as you would expect. People use Meta AI to generate answers to questions, images, and other such things, and then those posts are shared to the feed for you to engage with. You can like, comment, or share anything you see there. A fourth button appears to load the same prompt into your own Meta AI conversation, so you can see what you get when you ask Meta AI the same question. During my testing, I saw someone post an image with the prompt "imagine me Miley Cyrus at Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter Tour." The image it generated for me was different from the one in my Discover feed. Now, whether Meta's AI is supposed to be generating quasi-photorealistic images of public figures is another question entirely. Near as I can tell, the Discover feed has two important uses. The first is showing off what Meta AI can do while giving you yet another thing to doomscroll. The other is giving users fresh ideas on what they can ask Meta AI about. During my brief time on Discover, I found people asking about Mars colonization, what colors would work for their wardrobe, and loads of stuff about the Catholic Church in the wake of Pope Francis' passing. In short, it not only serves entertainment value, but also as an idea generator, especially when the next wave of AI trends hits the market. The Meta AI app also supports the Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses. In fact, Meta is replacing the existing Meta View companion app with the Meta AI app, so this is the app you'll need to use moving forward for your smart glasses. It's easy enough to get to. Just open up the app and click the glasses icon to add your smart glasses, and then continue using them as normal from there. Per Meta, once you get everything synced up, you'll be able to start a conversation on the glasses and continue it on the app. Chat history will also be accessible through the Meta AI app, and it'll all be integrated with conversations you have on the app natively. Meta does note that you won't be able to start a chat from the app and then continue on the glasses. Even so, OpenAI, xAI, and Google certainly don't have this type of hardware integration. I don't personally own a pair of the smart glasses, so there are likely some extra little things that I haven't seen that Meta didn't put in the press release. Even so, direct hardware support is something ChatGPT doesn't boast. This one isn't particularly new or unique, but it's the first such implementation for Meta's AI. For the uninitiated, full-duplex voice mode describes the feature when you can chat with AI in real-time. You talk, it responds, you respond back, so on and so forth. A few AI chatbots have this feature already. Meta uses it differently, though. While you can still chat with Meta's AI in both directions, full-duplex voice mode also changes how the AI talks back. It integrates natural human language, like pauses, along with filler words like "umm." This is demonstrably different from how the AI typically talks to you, so it's something different for people who want that. The app says that the feature is in beta and doesn't use the most updated knowledge base like the regular AI voice, so you'll likely get worse answers if you use it. Once it hits primetime, it's a neat little addition. In the meantime, the regular AI voice has options for John Cena, Awkwafina, Judi Dench, Keegan-Michael Key, and Kristen Bell.

Meta's new AI app lets you share your favorite prompts with friends

Meta has been playing the AI game for a while now, but unlike ChatGPT, its models are usually integrated into existing platforms rather than standalone apps. That trend ends today -- the company has launched the Meta AI app and it appears to do everything ChatGPT does and more. Powered by the latest Llama 4 model, the app is designed to "get to know you" using the conversations you have and information from your public Meta profiles. It's designed to work primarily with voice, and Meta says it has improved responses to feel more personal and conversational. There's experimental voice tech included too, which you can toggle on and off to test -- the difference is that apparently, full-duplex speech technology generates audio directly, rather than reading written responses. Recommended Videos The biggest difference between this app and other AI chat apps is the social media twist. There are rumors that OpenAI wants to get into social media too, but Meta has majorly beaten them to the punch, here. The Discover feed is just what it sounds like -- a place to share your favorite prompts, responses, and interactions with the AI model for your friends and family to see. It's meant to be a way to exchange ideas and find new ways to use the LLM. While a lot of our AI usage isn't all that interesting, everyone has moments when they want to show people what they managed to get the AI to generate -- and that would be the kind of thing you choose to post. I suspect feeds will be full of amusing hallucinations and mistakes as well, however. The app will also be merging with the Meta View companion app for Ray-Ban Meta glasses, so if you own this bit of hardware, you'll probably use the Meta AI app a lot. If not, you'll also be able to access the app on desktop, where you can access the Discover feed, generate images, and test out the in-development rich document editor. If you're familiar with Meta AI's long journey into the European market, it'll be no surprise to hear that a lot of the Meta AI app features are currently limited to the U.S. and Canada. But if you're in the right place, then you can go ahead and download the app right away to try all of this new stuff out. Please enable Javascript to view this content

Meta's AI app to challenge ChatGPT is here -- and yes it's 'social'

The app, which expands on the AI already integrated into Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger, is centered around voice conversations, with the idea that the AI will become familiar with who you are. "Meta AI is built to get to know you, so its answers are more helpful," the company said in its press release. "It's easy to talk to, so it's more seamless and natural to interact with." Meta described its AI as "social," highlighting its ability to show you posts from friends you care about. And the app has a "Discover" feed where people can share how they are using Meta AI. The app will also be a companion to Meta's AI glasses, so users "can pick up where you left off from anywhere you are." "We built a new thing for you," Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in a Reel posted to Facebook. "There are almost a billion people who are using Meta AI across an app, so we made a new standalone app." Zuckerberg said it's designed to be "your personal AI." "This is the beginning of what is going to be a long journey," he added. The app is built with Meta's Llama 4 technology. Earlier this year, Zuckerberg said the tech giant is planning to invest between $60 billion and $65 billion in capital expenditures on AI in 2025. To power its AI plans, Zuckerberg said Meta is building a data center with a capacity of more than two gigawatts -- a site that could cover a large part of Manhattan. The company plans to "significantly" grow its AI teams, he said, and has "the capital to continue investing in the years ahead."

Meta releases standalone AI app, competing with ChatGPT

Social media behemoth Meta unveiled its first standalone AI assistant app on Tuesday as it tries to take on ChatGPT by giving users a direct path to its generative artificial intelligence models. "A billion people are using Meta AI across our apps now, so we made a new standalone Meta AI app for you to check out," Meta CEO and founder Mark Zuckerberg said in a video posted on Instagram. Zuckerberg said the app "is designed to be your personal AI" and would be primarily accessed through voice conversations with the interactions personalized to the individual user. "We're starting off really basic, with just a little bit of context about your interests," the CEO said. "But over time, you're going be able to let Meta AI know a whole lot about you and the people you care about from across our apps, if you want." Embracing the company's social media DNA, the app features a social feed allowing users to see AI-made posts by other users. The new application also replaces Meta View as the companion app for Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses, allowing conversations to flow between glasses, mobile app and desktop interfaces, the company said. The release comes as OpenAI stands as a leader of straight-to-user AI through its ChatGPT assistant that is regularly updated with new capabilities.

Here's a Closer Look at Meta's New Standalone AI App - Decrypt

The Discovery tab lets users view, share, and engage with AI-generated content from other users. Meta launched a standalone app for its Meta AI assistant on Tuesday, marking a significant step in bringing its generative AI tools, powered by the open-source Llama AI models, to users beyond Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. The new Meta AI app arrives nearly two years after the company began its major AI integration push in December 2023, embedding generative AI into its social media and communications platforms. Meta is playing catch-up to OpenAI, Google, and Elon Musk's xAI, and others who have already launched standalone apps for their AI models. Despite having 7.5 billion monthly active users across its social media platforms, Meta faces a significant challenge if it wants to match its rivals. ChatGPT alone had 600 million monthly active users across iOS, Android, and Desktop applications. I spent some time with the new Meta AI app, available on iOS, Android, and the web. It offers a handful of good features, like high-definition image and video generation, customizable AI voices, and a Discovery tab to see how others are using it. There's also integration with Meta's smart glasses. However, even with these highlights, the app still has some rough spots that need improvement. For this review, I used the iOS version of the Meta AI app. It requires users to sign in with a Facebook or Instagram account, or with an email address tied to other Meta accounts. Once logged in, the landing page offers tutorials on using AI, exploring features, and launching simple projects. A new feature of Meta AI is the Discovery tab, which shows what other users are creating with the app. The Discovery tab is more than a gallery -- it also serves as a social media hub, allowing users to like, comment on, and share AI-generated content across Meta platforms. While I don't mind sharing my creations online, I didn't like how Meta AI shares images, as it does so without first obtaining the user's permission. Users can turn off sharing to Facebook and Instagram in their settings under Data & Privacy, but it is turned on by default. Meta AI can create both still images and short video clips, which is one of my favorite aspects of Meta AI. Meta's Emu image generator is very good at creating vibrant, high-definition images that can be animated into clips by adding the word "video" to the prompt. Image generation is fast. I was surprised to find that the AI had no problem creating images of Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman, and John Constantine without much fuss. Once created, these images can be shared along with their prompts in the Discovery tab feed. Meta AI's controls also include a history tab that shows previously used prompts. Additionally, under Data & Privacy, users can make their prompts private or delete them in the "Manage your information" section. The Meta AI app also connects to Meta's line of AI-powered glasses, indicated by a glasses icon at the bottom of the screen. For Meta Glasses owners, the app provides step-by-step instructions for pairing the device. "You're going to be able to use the app to manage your Meta glasses and other kinds of AI devices we're going to be building in the future," Zuckerberg said. "This is the beginning of a long journey to build this out." I'll have to take Zuckerberg's word for it. I don't own a pair of Meta glasses, which start at $299, but if Meta would like to loan me a pair, I would be happy to review its integration with Meta AI. While Meta AI, on the surface, is like every other large language model, what makes the app interesting and creepy is its voice AI feature. Once enabled, the Ready to Talk feature allows the mobile app to listen for commands as soon as it opens. Which is fine until you realize that the app doesn't stop listening after it answers your question. I had to tell the AI to stop before the microphone feature would turn off. Voice controls are accessible next to the user's profile picture. Users can switch between the default AI voice and celebrity voices, including Judi Dench, Kristen Bell, John Cena, Keegan-Michael Key, and Awkwafina. It was creepy when Meta first rolled out the feature in September 2024, and it's still creepy now, though having Veronica Mars' Kristen Bell as my AI assistant is pretty cool. The "Ready to talk" feature opens the microphone when the app launches. An experimental full-duplex mode enables more natural, real-time conversations, though it has limitations, including outdated knowledge and limited access to certain features. Having the Meta AI app ready to listen is a double-edged sword. On one hand, it's very convenient to be able to start talking immediately, while on the other hand, if you forget the setting is on and start speaking, the AI may assume you're talking to the app. Because the microphone quality on mobile phones differs by generation, whether your app can hear you clearly will depend on how many random pictures or conversations it generates, making you think you are speaking to it when you are not. While AI models are becoming more personal and remembering what users tell them, like ChatGPT, Meta AI does not "remember" conversations by default. However, this can be changed by instructing the AI to "remember this," which will then add the memory to the app's settings. Stored memories can be viewed in the Memory settings. Meta has not detailed how long user prompts are stored or how they may be used to train future models. The standalone app offers a more intuitive experience than Meta's previous AI integrations in its social media platforms and functions similarly to mobile AI applications like ChatGPT, Grok, and Gemini. Once engaged, Meta AI is responsive, answering questions within seconds of asking. Meta AI's app is very impressive for a free and open-source model, but it's not something I would use daily. This is an app for people who spend a lot of time in Meta's ecosystem, but I don't see anyone trying to do more than have casual conversations right now. It makes sense for dedicated Meta users, though it may frustrate those who prefer more flexibility and privacy.

Meta releases standalone AI app, competing with ChatGPT

San Francisco (AFP) - Social media behemoth Meta unveiled its first standalone AI assistant app on Tuesday, challenging ChatGPT by giving users a direct path to its generative artificial intelligence models. "A billion people are using Meta AI across our apps now, so we made a new standalone Meta AI app for you to check out," the company's CEO and founder Mark Zuckerberg said in a video posted on Instagram. Zuckerberg said the app "is designed to be your personal AI" and could be primarily accessed through voice conversations with the interactions personalized to the individual user. "We're starting off really basic, with just a little bit of context about your interests," the CEO said. "But over time, you're going be able to let Meta AI know a whole lot about you and the people you care about from across our apps, if you want." Embracing the company's social media DNA, the app features a social feed allowing users to see AI-made posts by other users. "We learn from seeing each other do it, so we put this right in the app," Meta chief product officer Chris Cox said Tuesday as he opened the tech titan's LlamaCon developers gathering devoted to its open-source AI model. "You can share your prompts. You can share your art. It's super fun." The new application also replaces Meta View as the companion app for Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses, allowing conversations to flow between glasses, mobile app and desktop interfaces, the company said. "We were very focused on the voice experience; the most natural possible interface," Cox said. 'Like a phone call' Meta also added an experimental mode designed to let the AI app engage in human style conversations with users. "You can hear interruptions and laughter and an actual dialog - just like a phone call," Cox said. The executive explained that the feature isn't able to search the web, so asking about topics such as sports teams or the Papal conclave was off the table for now. Users will have the option of letting Meta AI learn about them by looking at their activity on their Instagram or Facebook accounts. "It will also remember things you tell it like your kids' names; your wife's birthday, and other things you want to make sure your assistant doesn't forget," Cox said. The release comes as OpenAI stands as a leader of straight-to-user AI through its ChatGPT assistant that is regularly updated with new capabilities. Meta touted advantages of Llama at the one day event aimed at getting developers to embrace its AI model that it describes as open-source. Open source means developers are free to customize key parts of the software as suits their needs. OpenAI's closed model keeps its inner workings private. "Part of the value around open source is that you can mix and match," Zuckerberg told developers tuned into LLamaCon. "You have the ability to take the best parts of the intelligence from the different models and produce exactly what you need, which I think is going to be very powerful."

What is Meta's new AI app and will it be coming to Europe?

The announcement was made on Tuesday at Meta's first LlamaCon developer event at its Menlo Park, California, headquarters. Meta is launching a stand-alone artificial intelligence (AI) app that acts as an assistant, as the company gears up to compete with rivals OpenAI and Elon Musk's xAI. The tech giant's announcement on Tuesday comes as the company rolled out its AI products in Europe last month. This is all you need to know about Meta's latest foray into AI. Meta called the app a "first step toward building a more personal AI" and said that it gets to know your preferences, remembers context, and is personalised to the user. It can be controlled with voice mode, so you can ask it any questions, meaning it is "more seamless and natural to interact with" the AI, the company said, adding that there is a visible icon when the microphone is in use. You can download it for free and it connects to your Instagram and Facebook accounts and can also be used through Meta's Ray-Ban smartglasses. The app also has a so-called Discover feed, which Meta said is a "place to share and explore how others are using AI". Another key feature, which Meta dubs as a window to its AI future, is a voice demo built with full-duplex speech technology, which can be toggled on and off to test. Meta said that it does not have access to the web or real-time information and is more of an experiment, which the company hopes users will give feedback on. For the moment, these voice conversations are only available in the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. European users can download the app, but will not have access to voice conversations. It is built with Meta Llama 4, which the tech giant says is one of the most innovative large language models (LLMs) ever created. The app announcement was made at an inaugural LlamaCon developer event at its Menlo Park, California, headquarters. Meta has admitted on its blogs that "public posts and comments on Facebook and Instagram [were used] to train generative AI models for these features and for the open source community". "We don't use posts or comments with an audience other than Public for these purposes," the company added. It is unclear if other data sets are used. Meta said that the app is the first version and that it was "excited to get this in people's hands and gather their feedback". Meta is not the first app to launch a standalone AI app. Google and xAI also recently released AI apps for their respective digital assistants Gemini and Grok.

Meta announces standalone AI app for personalized assistance - SiliconANGLE

Meta announces standalone AI app for personalized assistance Meta Platforms Inc. today announced a new standalone Meta AI app that houses an artificial intelligence assistant powered by the company's Llama 4 large language model to provide a more personalized experience for users. The company said the new app is built to be more social and is designed with voice features. It has an improved underlying voice model that has a more conversational tone. There is also a full-duplex speech demo, which means that the AI will listen even as it's speaking and the user can interrupt the AI. This will make the conversation more like a phone call; instead of asking a question, waiting for it to finish and then asking another. "This technology will deliver a more natural voice experience trained on conversational dialogue, so the AI is generating voice directly instead of reading written responses," Meta said. Meta noted that the full-duplex demo voice capability doesn't have web or real-time information. Still, the company wanted to offer a glimpse of the future capabilities by letting users experiment with this powerful voice demo. It can be toggled on or off within the app. The voice features will continue to operate even while users are off multitasking in other apps, meaning that they can surf around their mobile device and the app will turn into a visible icon revealing that the microphone is in use. Voice conversations, including the demo for full-duplex, are available in the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Meta said that users are getting to know AI even better than before and it's important that their personal assistant is exactly that: personal. The company said that users will be able to ask the AI assistant to remember certain things about them. For example, they love to travel and learn new languages, enjoy building LEGO projects or are an avid book reader. It can also pick up important details from the user's social media on Meta that the user has chosen to share with it, such as the profile, content the user has engaged with and more. Personalized responses are available today for users in the U.S. and Canada. The AI app can connect to Facebook and Instagram accounts and draw from both to provide an even more personalized experience. Just like every other part of Meta's social media ecosystem, Meta AI includes a Discover feed where users can share and explore how others are using the AI. "You can see the best prompts people are sharing, or remix them to make them your own," the company said. As wearables are becoming a new way for people to interface with AI, Meta is merging the new Meta AI app with the Meta View companion app for its Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses. Meta announced its most recent generation of Ray-Ban smart glasses in partnership with EssilorLuxottica in 2023. They have audio and camera livestreaming capabilities that allow them to connect to AI via voice. So, the AI can see and hear what the wearer is doing and saying. Meta said in some countries, users will be able to switch from interacting with Meta AI on the glasses to the app. "You'll be able to start a conversation on your glasses, then access it in your history tab from the app or web to pick up where you left off," the company added. However, users can't start a chat on the app or web and pick it up on the glasses. Meta also said the AI app on the web is receiving the voice upgrade and the Discover feed. The web interface will work better on larger screens, allowing users with desktops and laptops to enjoy a better experience. The company is also experimenting with a rich text editor in select countries, which will permit users to generate documents with both text and images and then export them as PDFs.

Meta Challenges OpenAI's Social Media Plans, Launches AI App to Rival ChatGPT | AIM

The app supports voice and text conversations, image generation and editing, and includes a full-duplex speech demo. Meta has released the first version of its standalone Meta AI app, designed to offer a personalised assistant experience across devices, including Meta's AI-powered Ray-Ban glasses and the web. The app features voice-based interaction, contextual memory, and a Discover feed to explore how users are using AI. The new app is built on Meta's Llama 4 model and connects to the broader Meta AI ecosystem that spans WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, and Messenger. It serves as the new companion app for Ray-Ban Meta glasses, replacing the previous Meta View app. "Meta AI is built to get to know you, so its answers are more helpful. It's easy to talk to, so it's more seamless and natural to interact with," the company said. The app supports voice and text conversations, image generation and editing, and includes a full-duplex speech demo. This demo generates voice responses directly from conversational dialogue rather than reading prewritten text, though it does not support real-time web access. It is currently available in the US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. "We wanted to provide a glimpse into the future by letting people experiment with this," Meta stated, acknowledging potential technical issues with the demo version. Personalised responses are available in the US and Canada. Meta AI can remember user preferences and draw from connected Facebook and Instagram accounts to improve relevance. "You can tell Meta AI to remember certain things about you... and it can also pick up important details based on context," the company noted. A Discover feed within the app enables users to explore and share prompts. "Nothing is shared to your feed unless you choose to post it," Meta added. Meta AI is also being integrated into the web interface, which has been updated with voice interaction and image generation features. In select countries, Meta is testing a document editor that lets users generate text-and-image documents for export and supports document uploads for AI analysis. Meta confirmed that all existing Ray-Ban Meta glasses users will see their paired devices and settings automatically transferred to the new app. "Glasses have emerged as the most exciting new hardware category of the AI era," Meta stated, noting that users can start a conversation on their glasses and continue it via the app or web, though not the other way around. The app includes a control to toggle the "Ready to talk" feature, allowing voice input by default. Meta said the goal is to make voice "the most intuitive way to interact with Meta AI." According to a recent report, OpenAI is developing a new social media platform that includes AI features. The platform, which is reportedly in the prototype stage, will combine a social feed with ChatGPT's image generation tools. Users will be able to create and share visuals like anime-style images and infographics directly in the feed, focusing on co-creating content with AI. Addressing a recent TED talk, OpenAI chief Sam Altman revealed that ChatGPT has currently reached 500 million weekly active users, including both free and paid subscribers. In comparison, WhatsApp reached 500 million monthly active users in April 2014, nearly five years after its launch in November 2009.

Meta launches AI app, Zuckerberg chats with Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella at developer conference

MENLO PARK, Calif. (AP) -- Working to differentiate itself in the crowded field of artificial intelligence, Meta Platforms has launched a standalone AI app -- with a social media component -- to compete with OpenAI's ChatGPT. The Meta AI app, built with the company's Llama 4 AI system. It includes a "discover" feed that lets users see how others are interacting with AI. It also has a voice mode for interacting with the AI. "It's smart for Meta to differentiate its ChatGPT competitor by drawing from the company's social media roots. The app's Discover feed is like a version of the OG Facebook Feed but only focused on AI use cases," said Forrester research director Mike Proulx. By letting users link their Facebook and Instagram accounts, the Meta AI app "gets a leg up on instantly personalizing its user experience with social media context." Meta has taken a different approach to AI than many of its rivals, releasing it for free as an open-source product. The company says more than a billion people use its AI products each month. At the Menlo Park, California-based tech giant's inaugural conference, LlamaCon, on Tuesday Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg chatted with Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella in a technical discussion around the speed of AI development and how the technology is shifting both their companies -- where AI is already writing code -- as well as the world. Acknowledging there is a lot of "hype" around AI, Zuckerberg said "if this is going to lead to massive increases in productivity, that needs to be reflected in major increases in GDP." "This is going take some multiple years, many years, to play out," Zuckerberg said. "I'm curious how you think, what's your current outlook on what we should be looking for to understand the progress that this is making?" Nadella brought up the advent of electricity, saying that "AI has the promise, but you now have to sort of really have it deliver the real change in productivity -- and that requires software and also management change, right? Because in some sense, people have to work with it differently." He said it took 50 years before people figured out to change how factories operated with electricity. Zuckerberg replied "well we're all investing as if it's not going to take 50 years, so I hope it doesn't take 50 years."

Meta launches AI app, Zuckerberg chats with Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella at developer conference

MENLO PARK, Calif. -- Working to differentiate itself in the crowded field of artificial intelligence, Meta Platforms has launched a standalone AI app -- with a social media component -- to compete with OpenAI's ChatGPT. The Meta AI app, built with the company's Llama 4 AI system. It includes a "discover" feed that lets users see how others are interacting with AI. It also has a voice mode for interacting with the AI. "It's smart for Meta to differentiate its ChatGPT competitor by drawing from the company's social media roots. The app's Discover feed is like a version of the OG Facebook Feed but only focused on AI use cases," said Forrester research director Mike Proulx. By letting users link their Facebook and Instagram accounts, the Meta AI app "gets a leg up on instantly personalizing its user experience with social media context." Meta has taken a different approach to AI than many of its rivals, releasing it for free as an open-source product. The company says more than a billion people use its AI products each month. At the Menlo Park, California-based tech giant's inaugural conference, LlamaCon, on Tuesday Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg chatted with Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella in a technical discussion around the speed of AI development and how the technology is shifting both their companies -- where AI is already writing code -- as well as the world. Acknowledging there is a lot of "hype" around AI, Zuckerberg said "if this is going to lead to massive increases in productivity, that needs to be reflected in major increases in GDP." "This is going take some multiple years, many years, to play out," Zuckerberg said. "I'm curious how you think, what's your current outlook on what we should be looking for to understand the progress that this is making?" Nadella brought up the advent of electricity, saying that "AI has the promise, but you now have to sort of really have it deliver the real change in productivity -- and that requires software and also management change, right? Because in some sense, people have to work with it differently." He said it took 50 years before people figured out to change how factories operated with electricity. Zuckerberg replied "well we're all investing as if it's not going to take 50 years, so I hope it doesn't take 50 years."

Meta launches standalone AI assistant

Meta launched a standalone version of their artificial intelligence (AI) assistant on Tuesday, touting its more "personal" and "relevant" computer generated responses. The company's new application uses its Llama 4 coding model to collect information from across Meta's platforms, including accounts connected to Facebook and Instagram, according to a release. Personalized responses, for individuals who download the app in the U.S. or Canada, will be presented based on content users have previously liked or engaged with on the platforms. The app will also include a discover feed typically used across Meta's social platforms. The company said the feature will serve as a place to "share and explore how others are using AI." Meta's new AI app will also merge with the Meta View companion app for Ray-Ban Meta glasses, and, in some countries, users will be able to switch from interacting with Meta AI on their glasses to the app. The move comes months after Meta loosened hate speech rules and announced it would forego fact checking standards.

You Can Finally Talk With Meta AI Outside of Facebook and WhatsApp

How I Turned Google Chrome Into a Beautiful, Minimalist Browser Meta is finally taking on OpenAI and ChatGPT -- with the launch of a standalone Meta AI app. While Meta AI mirrors what's on offer from ChatGPT, Claude, and other AI chatbots, it does have a few handy tricks up its sleeve to help it stand out from the crowd. Meta Launches Its First Standalone AI Chatbot: Meta AI If you use Meta products, you've likely already interacted with its chatbot. After all, you can use Meta AI on Instagram and Facebook and chat with it on WhatsApp. Now, Meta has revealed that you can access Meta AI within a standalone app. Meta AI is powered by Llama 4, which is capable of more conversational and personalized responses, which Meta claims can "help you solve problems, navigate your daily questions, and better understand the world around you." So, what exactly sets it apart from other AI chatbots? Well, like ChatGPT, you can ask Meta AI to remember things about you and tailor its responses based on these details. But that's only one part of it. Meta AI can also draw on information you've shared on Meta platforms over the years. For now, this feature is only available to users in the US and Canada, but it might expand to other regions soon. While the goal is to make your interactions with Meta AI feel more relevant and familiar, I can't help but wonder at what point AI products like these blur the lines between being helpful and just plain intrusive. Close Meta AI Has Some Handy Features If you can look past this, there are a few fun features to explore. I enjoyed the Discover tab, which showcases select prompts from other users. You can "remix" them to make something of your own and even like/comment under the posts. There's a social element to this, which feels a little different from what we've come to experience with other AI apps. Furthermore, if you live in the US, Canada, New Zealand, or Australia, you can start interacting with Meta AI via voice conversations alone. Meta claims that the technology that powers this experience is trained in conversational dialogue, making the back-and-forth feel more natural and fluid. Also interesting is that Meta's smart glasses, the Ray-Ban Meta Glasses, are also receiving an upgrade as part of the standalone app rollout. On LinkedIn, Ray-Ban Meta Glasses Product Lead David Woodland explained that the glasses and app will receive deeper integrations, allowing the smart glasses to have better vision and analysis than before. I can't say I'm overly keen to try yet another chatbot, and I also find it quite unnerving that Meta AI can generate responses based on information I've shared on my profiles across different Meta platforms. But if those privacy issues don't faze you, and you genuinely enjoy using Meta products, Meta AI's standalone app might be worth trying out. This is the first version of Meta's standalone AI app, so some features have limited availability, and you may encounter occasional technical issues. However, your experience with the app will likely improve over time.

Meta launches standalone AI app rivaling OpenAI's ChatGPT

Meta is aiming to even the artificial intelligence playing field with its new standalone app. The technology giant, which owns Facebook and Instagram, announced the launch of the Meta AI app on April 29. It's an expansion of the existing generative AI chatbot built into the company's social media apps. But instead of being an added feature, the new app gives users a dedicated platform to use the technology. The Meta AI app is a companion to the company's AI glasses and also offers a Discover feed to show how others are using the tool, according to a release. The app riffs on similar AI competitors, like OpenAI's ChatGPT. Here's what to know. What's the Meta AI app? Meta says its new AI app is "built to get to know you," according to a release. "It's easy to talk to, so it's more seamless and natural to interact with. It's more social, so it can show you things from the people and places you care about," the release says. It also has voice features that allow users to multitask while using the app on their device. An icon appears when the microphone is in use. Voice conversations are currently available in the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Meta also said the latest iteration of its language-learning model, Llama 4, is "more conversational in tone," but added that the model may still have some "technical issues or inconsistencies." New Meta AI app has Discover feed The app also has a Discover feed resembling one of Meta's social media platforms. If connected to a user's Facebook or Instagram, the app can draw from the accounts to create more personalized responses, the company said in a release. Users can also share their latest prompts to their feeds or remix ideas from others. How to try Meta AI Meta AI can be accessed at the website meta.ai. Users can log in using Meta (Facebook and Instagram) accounts. Meta AI is also available to download from app stores.

Meta's AI App Debuts With Support for Voice Chats and a Social Feed

The AI app will become the new companion app for Ray-Ban Meta glasses Meta released a standalone app for its artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot, Meta AI, on Tuesday. The new Meta AI app is available on Android via the Play Store and iOS via the App Store. The Menlo Park-based tech giant has added a social element to the app, where one can see others users' posts and images in a Discover feed. Additionally, the company is introducing a voice mode where users can have a two-way verbal conversation with the chatbot. The voice experience is currently available in only select countries. In a newsroom post, the tech giant announced the launch of the Meta AI app and detailed its new features. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg had previously stated that the company was working on a standalone AI app. The standalone AI app is powered by the Llama 4 AI model and competes with the likes of ChatGPT, Gemini, Grok, and Claude. The Meta AI app is designed to be a social experience. It comes with a Discover feed where users can share and explore their experience with the chatbot. Users can share prompts and Meta AI's responses or images generated using AI. Additionally, they can also like and comment on others' posts or remix them to use their prompts. The tech giant says nothing is shared to the feed unless the user chooses to post something. The social experience is not limited to the Discover feed, either. To log into the app, one needs a Meta account, which can be either your Instagram or Facebook account. When a user signs in, their account information, such as profile, content they've engaged with, or conversations with Meta AI, can be accessed by the app. Using this, the chatbot can generate a personalised experience for users. This capability is currently available in the US and Canada, according to Meta. Apart from drawing on the information from other social media accounts, Meta AI now also has memory. It can remember contextual information gathered from conversations with the user to tailor its responses. Meta also offers a hands-free experience with the AI app. The chatbot can now verbally converse with the user in a natural and conversational tone. The company said it tweaked the Llama 4 model to add this capability. With this, users can also ask the AI to generate images or edit them via voice conversations. The company is also experimenting with a full-duplex speech technology. This setting instructs the AI to directly generate voice instead of converting written responses into speech (text-to-speech model). Meta says this experience is more natural and feels human-like. However, this mode currently does not have access to the web or real-time information. The voice mode is currently available only in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the US. Finally, the Meta AI app is also merging with the Meta View companion app for Ray-Ban Meta glasses. This means users will need to connect their smart glasses with the app to access certain features such as checking their gallery, editing images, or checking conversation history. In select countries, users will also be able to switch from the AI app to the glasses without losing the context of the conversation. However, currently, conversations can only be started on the Ray-Ban Meta glasses, but they can be continued in either the Meta AI app or the website. Notably, the Meta AI app is free to download and use, and there are no paid subscriptions for the service at the moment.

Meta Takes on ChatGPT By Releasing a Standalone AI App: 'A Long Journey'

Meta is taking on OpenAI's ChatGPT, Google's Gemini, and xAI's Grok with the new Meta AI app. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg shared in an Instagram video that almost a billion people currently use Meta AI across apps like Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp to get answers to questions, generate AI images, and write posts. This led the company, he says, to create a new, standalone AI app, which is now available on the iOS and Android app stores. Meta announced the app at its LlamaCon event on Tuesday, and it has since surpassed 500,000 downloads on the Android app store at the time of writing. The voice-centered app enables users to access Meta AI without going through one of Meta's social platforms, like Instagram. Users get started by logging in with their email address, or Facebook or Instagram accounts. Related: Meta Is Testing AI That Can Catch Teenagers Trying to Get Around Age Rules on Instagram Through the app, users can talk to Meta AI about anything, from news to personal issues to topics of interest, through voice or text. The AI chatbot is personalized to individual users and learns more about their interests through interactions over time. Still, Zuckerberg notes that the app is in its early stages. "This is the beginning of what's going to be a long journey to build this out," Zuckerberg said in the Instagram video. The Meta AI app includes a Discover social feed for users to share their interactions with Meta AI, from generating images to obtaining text responses. It additionally has an option for users to manage their Ray-Ban Meta glasses through the app. Competitor ChatGPT also has a voice mode, which was first unveiled in September 2023. However, Meta is trying to differentiate itself by using its vast app and algorithm network to collect a user's information, such as their Facebook profile and what they liked on Instagram, to help personalize recommendations. (Users can opt out of this by not adding their Facebook or Instagram accounts to their Meta AI app profile.) Meta's competitors in the AI app space include Elon Musk's xAI, which released its AI app earlier this year, and Google, which launched its Gemini app in February 2024.

Meta launches standalone AI app built with Llama 4

It is being positioned as an early step toward creating more context-aware and personalised interactions with users. Users can now engage in conversations with the AI in a dedicated interface and switch between voice and text as needed.Meta has released a new standalone AI app that enables users to interact with its Meta AI assistant via voice and text. The app is built on the company's latest language model, Llama 4, and is being positioned as an early step toward creating more context-aware and personalised interactions with users. The Meta AI assistant has previously been available across WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, and Messenger. With this new app, users can engage in conversations with the AI in a dedicated interface and switch between voice and text as needed. Full-duplex speech technology According to the company, the app features an experimental voice interaction system using full-duplex speech technology, which allows for more natural back-and-forth conversations without waiting for pauses. While voice-based AI interaction isn't new, this approach removes the turn-taking usually required in typical voice assistant setups. In the latest development, Meta is releasing this demo feature in the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. The assistant does not access real-time information or the web in voice mode, and the company acknowledges that users may experience some technical inconsistencies during this testing phase. Personalisation is the USP In a move to encourage personalised responses, users who connect their Facebook and Instagram profiles through the Meta Accounts Centre will benefit as the assistant can incorporate information such as profile data and content engagement history to tailor its replies. Users can also explicitly tell Meta AI what to remember, such as interests or habits, to help refine future interactions. However, this personalisation feature is currently limited to the US and Canada. Integration across devices The Meta AI app is also being integrated with other Meta hardware and services. Users of Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses will now manage their devices through the app, replacing the existing Meta View app. Conversations started on the glasses can be continued in the app or on the web, though the reverse is not yet supported. The app also includes a Discover feed where users can view AI prompts shared by others, modify them, or share their own. Nothing is publicly visible unless a user chooses to post it. Additionally, Meta has included privacy controls. A visual indicator shows when the microphone is active, and users can choose whether voice interaction is enabled by default.

Meta announces new Meta AI stand alone app - Here's what it does

Meta has announced the launch of a new standalone Meta AI app, developed using Llama 4, marking an initial step toward creating a more personalized AI experience. Users across the globe already interact with Meta AI daily through platforms like WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, and Messenger. With this new app, they now have the option to engage in voice-based conversations with Meta AI in a dedicated environment. Meta has introduced new enhancements to its AI experience through the updated Meta AI app, now powered by Llama 4. While voice interaction with AI isn't new, the upgraded model aims to deliver more personal, relevant, and conversational responses. The app also integrates seamlessly with other Meta AI tools, including image generation and editing, all accessible via voice or text-based conversations. Additionally, Meta has included a voice demo that leverages full-duplex speech technology, allowing users to toggle the feature on or off. This advanced technology enables the AI to produce speech directly from conversational dialogue, rather than simply reading out written text -- offering a more natural interaction. Although the demo lacks real-time web access, it offers users a preview of future capabilities. Meta notes that users may experience technical issues or inconsistencies and encourages ongoing feedback to help refine and improve the experience. Voice conversations, including access to the full-duplex speech demo, are currently available in the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Users interested in learning how to manage their experience within the Meta AI app -- such as toggling between different interaction modes -- can visit Meta's official support or help center for more information. Meta has unveiled how its AI assistant, powered by Llama 4, is designed to help users solve problems, explore everyday questions, and gain a deeper understanding of the world. With integrated web search capabilities, Meta AI can offer personalized recommendations, support in-depth research, and help users stay connected with loved ones. For those simply looking to explore, the app also provides conversation starters to inspire curiosity and discovery. Building on decades of experience in personalizing digital interactions, Meta has made its AI assistant more tailored to individual users. It can remember specific preferences -- such as a passion for travel or language learning -- and adapt responses based on context. Meta AI also draws on information users have already shared across Meta platforms, such as profile details and engagement with content, to deliver more relevant responses. Personalized features are currently available in the U.S. and Canada, with enhanced experiences offered to those who connect both their Facebook and Instagram accounts through the Meta Accounts Center. Meta emphasizes that, like its other platforms, the Meta AI app is designed to foster connections -- helping users engage with the people and interests they care about. The app features a Discover feed, where users can explore and share creative ways others are using AI. It highlights popular prompts, which can be remixed and personalized, encouraging a collaborative and inspiring environment. Importantly, user control remains a priority -- content is only shared to the Discover feed if the user actively chooses to post it. Meta AI is now available across all Meta platforms and supported devices -- including Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Messenger, and Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses. To streamline the experience, the Meta AI app is merging with the Meta View app, allowing users in some countries to switch between their glasses and the app. Conversations started on the glasses can be continued in the app or on the web. Existing Meta View users will have their devices, settings, and media automatically transferred to the new Devices tab in the updated app. Meta AI on the web is also being upgraded, now featuring voice interactions and the Discover feed -- just like the app. This consistent experience across the app, web, and AI glasses makes Meta AI more personal and accessible wherever users need it. The Meta AI web interface has been optimized for larger screens and desktop use, offering an enhanced image generation experience with new presets and options for adjusting style, mood, lighting, and colors. In select countries, Meta is also testing a rich document editor that lets users create content with text and images, then export it as a PDF. Additionally, users may soon be able to import documents for Meta AI to analyze and understand. Voice is the most intuitive way to interact with Meta AI, and the app is designed for seamless conversations with just a button press -- perfect for multitasking or when you're on the go. If you prefer voice interactions by default, you can easily toggle the "Ready to Talk" feature on in your settings.

Meta's Zuckerberg chats with Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella at developer conference

Meta has launched a standalone AI app powered by Llama 4 to rival ChatGPT, integrating social media features like a Discover feed and voice mode. The app personalizes experiences using Facebook and Instagram data. At LlamaCon, Zuckerberg and Nadella discussed AI's transformative potential and the long-term impact on productivity and society.Working to differentiate itself in the crowded field of artificial intelligence, Meta Platforms has launched a standalone AI app - with a social media component - to compete with OpenAI's ChatGPT. The Meta AI app, built with the company's Llama 4 AI system. It includes a "discover" feed that lets users see how others are interacting with AI. It also has a voice mode for interacting with the AI. "It's smart for Meta to differentiate its ChatGPT competitor by drawing from the company's social media roots. The app's Discover feed is like a version of the OG Facebook Feed but only focused on AI use cases," said Forrester research director Mike Proulx. By letting users link their Facebook and Instagram accounts, the Meta AI app "gets a leg up on instantly personalising its user experience with social media context." Meta has taken a different approach to AI than many of its rivals, releasing it for free as an open-source product. The company says more than a billion people use its AI products each month. At the Menlo Park, California-based tech giant's inaugural conference, LlamaCon, on Tuesday Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg chatted with Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella in a technical discussion around the speed of AI development and how the technology is shifting both their companies - where AI is already writing code - as well as the world. Acknowledging there is a lot of "hype" around AI, Zuckerberg said "if this is going to lead to massive increases in productivity, that needs to be reflected in major increases in GDP." "This is going take some multiple years, many years, to play out," Zuckerberg said. "I'm curious how you think, what's your current outlook on what we should be looking for to understand the progress that this is making?" Nadella brought up the advent of electricity, saying that "AI has the promise, but you now have to sort of really have it deliver the real change in productivity - and that requires software and also management change, right? Because in some sense, people have to work with it differently." He said it took 50 years before people figured out to change how factories operated with electricity. Zuckerberg replied "well we're all investing as if it's not going to take 50 years, so I hope it doesn't take 50 years."

The New Meta AI App Takes On ChatGPT with a Social Feed

Meta AI has a voice-first design, and you can converse with the "full-duplex" voice mode in a more natural way. We previously reported that Meta is working on a standalone app to compete with ChatGPT. And now, the social media giant has finally unveiled the dedicated Meta AI app. Just like ChatGPT, you can chat with Meta AI, generate images, find the latest information, and have voice conversations with the AI. What is unique is that there is a new social feed integrated right into the Meta AI app. Yes, you read that right. The Meta AI app has its own Discover feed where you can view interactions of your friends and other people with Meta AI. Of course, users must opt in to share interactions with Meta AI for the Discover feed. You will be able to like, comment, share, and remix content created using Meta AI by other people. By the way, there have been reports saying that OpenAI is also working on a social feed for ChatGPT. So it's not entirely surprising that companies are integrating a new kind of AI-first social feed to drive engagement. Apart from the social feed, Meta AI offers a "full-duplex" AI voice mode to take on ChatGPT's Advanced Voice Mode (AVM). It's much more natural to interact with and supports "dynamic turn-taking, overlapping speech, and backchanneling." Basically, it allows users to have a natural, dynamic, and overlapping back-and-forth conversation with Meta AI. In fact, the Meta AI app has a voice-first UI. You can toggle "Ready to talk" mode and keep the voice mode on by default. You can now multitask and converse with Meta AI whenever you want. Note that users need to opt in to access the full-duplex AI voice mode on Meta AI, and it's available in the US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. As for personalization, Meta AI uses existing data from Facebook and Instagram to personalize responses and provide contextual information. Meta AI also has memory support and can remember user preferences just like ChatGPT. You can explicitly provide information like your hobbies or interests, and Meta AI remembers that. The personalization feature is currently available in the US and Canada only. Meta AI is now tightly integrated with Ray-Ban Meta glasses. You can start a conversation on Ray-Ban Meta glasses and continue it on the Meta AI app or web. Basically, Meta is trying to offer a unified experience, from glasses to the Meta AI app. In fact, the Meta AI app is replacing the Meta View app on smart glasses. Finally, Meta says it's testing a rich document editor in a few regions where you can generate PDFs full of text and images. In addition, the ability to upload documents on Meta AI is coming soon. Lastly, the Meta AI app is powered by a specially tuned version of Llama 4.

Meta Launches AI App To Compete With ChatGPT, Gemini, Grok - Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META)

Today's manic market swings are creating the perfect setup for Matt's next volatility trade. Get his next trade alert for free, right here. Meta Platforms Inc META has announced the launch of a standalone AI app that will compete with the likes of OpenAI's ChatGPT, Google's Gemini and xAI's Grok. What To Know: Meta on Tuesday unveiled the Meta AI app built with Llama 4, designed to give users a more personal AI experience. "People around the world use Meta AI daily across WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook and Messenger. And now, people can choose to experience a personal AI designed around voice conversations with Meta AI inside a standalone app," the company said in a blog post. The news comes after CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in January that he believes 2025 will be the year in which a "highly intelligent and personalized AI assistant" crosses the 1 billion-user mark, CNBC reported. "I expect Meta AI to be that leading AI assistant," Zuckerberg said at the start of the year. Meta launched its AI chatbot in 2023 before adding Meta AI search functionality across its family of apps in April. Meta AI had around 700 million monthly active users as of January when Meta last reported quarterly results. Meta is set to report results for the first quarter after the market close on Wednesday. The company is expected to report earnings of $5.28 per share and revenue of $41.39 billion, according to Benzinga Pro estimates. Investors will be watching for signs that the company's AI investments are gaining traction after Meta announced plans to spend up to $65 billion building out AI infrastructure this year. Meta said on Tuesday that its new AI app is designed to get to know the user, personalizing responses in a natural and seamless way. The new voice conversations feature also helps create a personalized experience by delivering a more natural voice experience trained on conversational dialogue. "Meta AI uses Llama 4 to help you solve problems, navigate your daily questions, and better understand the world around you. With the ability to search across the web, it can help you get recommendations, deep dive on a topic, and stay connected with your friends and family. Or if you're just looking to play around with it, we provide conversation starters to inspire your searches," the company said. META Price Action: Meta shares were up 0.16% at $550.65 at the time of publication Tuesday. The stock is down about 6% year-to-date, per Benzinga Pro. Read Next: Meta Q1 Earnings On Deck: Expert Sees Growth At A 'Reasonable Price' Photo: Algi Febri Sugita/Shutterstock. METAMeta Platforms Inc $552.260.46% Stock Score Locked: Want to See it? Benzinga Rankings give you vital metrics on any stock - anytime. Reveal Full Score Edge Rankings Momentum 78.98 Growth 75.06 Quality - Value 45.45 Price Trend Short Medium Long Overview Market News and Data brought to you by Benzinga APIs

What is the Meta AI App: New Features and Overview

Among all the buzz surrounding ChatGPT, Gemini, and Deepseek, we rarely hear anything about Meta AI. Even though the company has managed to stuff it into Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, it's like that one classmate who's been in your class all year, but you only realize it when they pop up in the yearbook. The company has finally come out with its standalone Meta AI app. So read along if you are curious about the Meta AI app, its features, and experience. The Meta AI app is a standalone app by Meta for its AI-powered chatbot. Here, you can directly interact with the large language model via voice or by typing out your queries. It is built upon Meta's Llama 4 model, offering more personalized and natural-sounding responses almost instantly. The app offers a personalized and direct experience. This is made possible by signing in to the app using your Facebook or Instagram account details, connecting them to the app. This will allow Meta AI to process your data and offer results that are more suited to you. With the Meta AI app, you can carry out a one-to-one voice conversation with Meta AI and get answers in real time. Since it runs on the Llama 4 voice model, it is also able to carry out conversations in full duplex mode, which allows for more natural and nuanced interaction. But as of now, all these voice features are limited to the U.S., Canada, Australia, or New Zealand. Other than voice, you can have a text chat with Meta AI. It shows you prompt suggestions, and you can also ask it for recent events since it is able to search the web. Like when I asked about Pope Francis, and it pulled up real-time news about his recent demise with sources. Neat, but nothing groundbreaking. It can also generate images at a whim and help you edit your existing ones. You can prompt it to make changes over text or voice. I generated some random images, like the one with Kratos from God of War taking a selfie, or turning my own selfie into a Ghibli art style. The app also serves as a companion app for Meta Ray Ban glasses. If you have one, you can easily pair it with the app, and then carry out conversations as you would, and they should appear in the app itself. Aside from these features, the biggest highlight of the Meta AI app is its Discover feed. Here, you can share your AI creations with others and see what they have come up with. And like any social media app, you can like someone's post, comment on it, and share it outside the app. Then there's the Remix option, which lets you use someone else's prompt and try it on your own. It's a neat addition, as you no longer need to spend minutes searching for the original prompt. With this option, you can try out someone else's prompt, and they can do the same with yours. We could see this Discover feed further develop over time, with additions like a "Follow" button, the option to seamlessly share your AI creations over to Facebook, Instagram, or WhatsApp, and a way to filter posts. Yes. As of the writing of this article, the Meta AI app is completely free to use, and you don't have to pay for any of its features. However, Mark Zuckerberg has shown interest in making some of its voice-based advanced features limited to paid subscribers later down the line. This model is similar to what other AI apps like ChatGPT, Gemini, or Copilot follow, where you can use the basic services for free. But if you want a more advanced model, then you will need to pay to access it. A paid subscription will also offer priority requests and faster responses. The app will also carry personalized ads, which will be a first for an AI-only app. Meta AI is already available in some of your favorite social media platforms, and you can try it out there for free. You can find it on Facebook, Messenger, Instagram, and WhatsApp. The AI is indicated by a blue circular halo-like icon, which you can tap to access the AI. You can have a one-on-one chat with the AI assistant there, and it can also generate images, much like the app itself. However, you will be missing out on voice conversations, chat history, and the Discover feed. So that is all there is to know about the Meta AI app. It is a good start, but it offers too little if you aren't native to the four regions mentioned above. However, the Meta AI integration in other apps leaves me wondering why I should install this app in the first place. Most of the features aren't available in my region, and when they are, they will likely arrive on their platform versions as well. The Discover feed is a nice touch, but it's not enough to keep many hooked. But there is plenty of room for improvement, and I think over time it can turn things around for itself.

Meta Launches Meta AI for Android and iOS Users

Meta, a social media giant, has launched Meta AI, a standalone AI (artificial intelligence) app for Android and iOS users. The company has focused on making the app as social as possible. There are plenty of AI apps on the market. The Meta AI app is just like them, powered by the Llama 4 AI model, but has a twist of social angle. With the Meta AI app, users can see what other users are posting through a discover feed. There is a voice only mode available as well with which users can have a two-way conversation with the chatbot. Read More - Motorola Edge 60 Pro Launched in India: Price and Specifications Users will be able to share the prompts, images generated, or the responses from Meta AI on their feed, and at the same time, other users will be able to comment and like on these posts. However, note that the interactions with the chatbot are private for the users. Unless the users choose to share something on the feed, it won't be shared. Meta is trying to create a very personalised experience for the users. That is why, when the users log-in, they will be prompted to do it with one of their Meta accounts which is either Facebook or Instagram. The AI app from Meta will now also have its own memory. It will remember the conversations it has gathered from the user and tailor its responses that way. As metioned above, there's a voice interaction capability as well. That will ensure users can also have a hands free experience with the Meta AI app. Read More - CMF Buds 2a, Buds 2, and Buds 2 Plus Launched in India: Price Here It is also worth noting that the Meta AI app is also merging with the Meta View companion app for the Ray Ban meta glasses.

Meta AI app now available on iOS, Android, and Web

Meta on Tuesday launched its first standalone Meta AI app, introducing a more personal voice-based assistant powered by Llama 4. The app is designed to offer a conversational, voice-first AI experience, with features aimed at personalization and context awareness. Meta said the assistant "remembers context," understands user "preferences," and is built to feel more natural in interaction. Meta AI is powered by the Llama 4 model, aimed at delivering smarter, more helpful responses tailored to individual users. Voice-first interaction Users can speak naturally to Meta AI. The app includes a voice demo using full-duplex speech technology, which lets the AI generate spoken responses directly from conversational training, rather than reading written replies. This toggleable feature is available for testing, though Meta cautions users may face technical issues as it's still in development. Meta said the AI improves as you keep using it. It can: Users can create or modify images using voice or text commands within the app. These features are integrated across Meta AI tools. Discover feed The app includes a Discover section where people can view or remix AI prompts shared by others. Meta clarified that "nothing is shared" unless the user actively chooses to post it. Meta AI is now integrated across all Meta platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Messenger, and Ray-Ban glasses. Users can switch between glasses and the app in supported countries, picking up conversations where they left off via the history tab on app or web. However, transitioning from the app or web to the glasses mid-conversation is currently not supported. Existing Meta View users will see their paired devices, settings, and media automatically transferred to the Meta AI app's new Devices tab once updated. Meta AI is also rolling out updates to its web interface, optimized for large screens: Voice input is optional and user-controlled. A setting called "Ready to talk" allows users to keep the voice feature on by default. An on-screen microphone icon signals when voice capture is active. Meta said it aims to improve the assistant over time based on user feedback.

Meta's AI app is a hot mess of questionable features

Last week, Meta launched its brand new AI app - a Frankenstein's (or should I say Zuckerberg's) monster that combines social media with generative AI slop. Powered by Meta's Llama 4 model, the new app promises to be a more personalised experience, storing your data to build a personable connection (and presumably refine those all-important targeted ads). While the technology has continued to be a topic of contention among creatives, knowing how to use AI properly has the potential to boost productivity, aiding human creativity rather than replacing it. In concept, Meta AI should do just that, but a deep dive into the app reveals a very different story. On the surface, the Meta AI app seems pretty innocuous - a helpful little AI chatbot to ask for advice, information or simply just some entertainment. The more tapped into Meta's products you are, the more curated it is to you. Sure, you're letting Meta collect your data across its applications, but anything for a personalised experience, right? To create a community feel, Meta introduced a Discover feed, allowing users to share their interactions with Meta's AI. A casual perusal of the app uncovers uncomfortably personal chat logs about health issues, sexuality and petty criminality. Scroll further and you'll find adventurers asking for travel routes direct from their homes, contrasted by soft porn AI image generations of female celebrities. While Meta affirms "you're in control: nothing is shared to your feed unless you choose to post it," the Discover feed's current lax regulations are flagging privacy concerns - just because someone can post doesn't always mean they should. While the app is still in its infancy, it has already received a mixed response online. One X user called it a "Trojan horse", claiming that the app was "turning AI into a social object - and prepping for feed-native ads inside your conversations. A whole new attention layer is coming." Another added, "The Discover feed in the new Meta AI app is kinda brilliant, but I also can't help thinking about it as yet another place to scroll endlessly and waste even more time." In some ways, Meta's new AI app was inevitable. With competitors like ChatGPT and Gemini expanding their reach, Meta's standalone AI app paves the way for a more personalised AI experience (for better or for worse). The nature of Meta's AI app naturally makes some creatives resistant to AI, but with the technology becoming more accessible and accepted by general audiences, it seems AI usage will only continue to grow.

Mark Zuckerberg's Meta takes on ChatGPT with launch of standalone AI...

Facebook parent Meta Platforms on Tuesday launched a separate app for its Meta AI assistant, similar to those offered by Microsoft-backed OpenAI and Alphabet's Google. The standalone app comes as Meta looks to boost the AI assistant's usage, apart from being available within the company's family of platforms -- WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook and Messenger. It also signals CEO Mark Zuckerberg's move to strengthen the company's position in the competitive AI landscape, taking on major rivals such as OpenAI and Google. Meta's separate app will provide more personalized responses based on context and other user-specific elements related to the user's Facebook and Instagram accounts. Llama 4, Meta's latest large language model, powers the Meta AI assistant and is designed to rival the latest AI models from OpenAI, Google, Deepseek and Anthropic, with improved reasoning, multilingual capabilities and efficiency. The new app will integrate with Meta's AI glasses and merge with the existing companion app, the company said. Meta is hosting its first-ever AI developer event, dubbed LlamaCon, on Tuesday, which will center around its Llama family of AI models. The Instagram owner is set to report its first-quarter results on Wednesday after markets close. Meta will start testing a paid subscription for the AI chatbot's advanced versions in the second quarter, Reuters had reported in February. However, the subscription service might not rake in meaningful revenue until next year at the earliest, a source had said. Meta AI, which was launched in September 2023, is a virtual assistant that uses large language models to perform reasoning tasks.

Meta Unveils Standalone AI App: Will it Outperform ChatGPT?

Meta Platforms unveiled the very first true artificial intelligence independent app, Meta AI. This is at the threshold of a big shift in the AI direction of the emerging company. Accessible to anyone and powered by the Llama 4 language model, this move makes Meta a significant contender against important AI platforms such as OpenAI's ChatGPT. The app was launched on April 29, 2025, during the first LlamaCon developer conference and introduced new features that will facilitate user engagement and personalize it. The app can be downloaded from both iOS and Android platforms, including a feature for text, voice, and image, enabling interaction with AI in a multimodal way. A special "Discover" feed is also included, which will allow users to be able to share and explore AI-generated content in a community-oriented way. Integration with other Meta-owned social media accounts, such as Facebook and Instagram, allows AI to capitalize on user data existent within other platforms to come up with individual responses and recommendations for users. All these smooth integrations aim to deliver a truly seamless user experience augmented with context-aware help.

Meta launches standalone AI app amid intensifying AI race By Investing.com

Investing.com -- Meta Platforms Inc (NASDAQ:META) has introduced a standalone Meta AI app, marking its most direct push yet into the competitive consumer artificial intelligence assistant market. The new app positions itself alongside established players with AI assistant apps such as OpenAI's ChatGPT, Google's (NASDAQ:GOOGL) Gemini, Anthropic's Claude, X Corp's Grok, and Chinese firm High-Flyer's DeepSeek. Integrated with Meta's updated Llama 4 model, the Meta AI app expands voice capabilities and allows users to interact with the assistant across platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger. The company says the app is personalized, context-aware, and able to remember user preferences to deliver more relevant responses. With the app, users in the U.S., Canada, Australia, and New Zealand can experiment with voice interactions powered by full-duplex speech technology, allowing for more natural conversations. Meta notes that the voice model operates independently of real-time internet access and may occasionally display inconsistent behavior as development continues. The launch comes at a time when major industry leaders, including Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT), Google, Amazon.com Inc (NASDAQ:AMZN), and Meta, are pledging massive capital expenditures to take the lead in artificial intelligence. According to its current outlook, Meta plans to spend $65 billion on AI and AI infrastructure in 2025. Meta AI is also being integrated more deeply into the company's hardware efforts. The Meta AI app will replace the Meta View companion app for Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses, enabling voice conversations that sync across devices, including the web. Users can start chats on their glasses and resume them in the app or online. The company has also upgraded the Meta AI web experience to support features like document creation, image generation, and voice interface optimized for desktop use. Some users will additionally be able to test document upload for text analysis and content generation. The app release follows a broader move in the tech industry to push AI models into standalone interfaces. Meta currently embeds its assistant across all its social and messaging platforms and is now offering a unified location for voice-first interactions that extend beyond passive chatbot use. The launch reinforces Meta's strategy of making AI ubiquitous across its ecosystem, from wearable hardware to mobile devices. It also signals an effort to compete directly with rivals offering increasingly multi-modal and device-agnostic AI assistants.

Meta launches new AI assistant, tool for developers

Facebook-parent Meta has set out its next moves on AI. Boss Mark Zuckerberg took the stage in California during the company's first conference for artificial intelligence developers. He revealed a new application programming interface, or API, which allows programmers to more easily build AI products using Meta's Llama model. Zuckerberg said they would be able to customize and integrate the best bits of rival bots: "So if another model like DeepSeek is better, if Qwen is better at something, then now as developers, you have the ability to take kind of the best parts of the intelligence from the different models and produce exactly what you need, which I think is going to be very powerful." Meta didn't say what it would charge for the new tool, which is currently available as a preview for select customers. Rival OpenAI, creator of ChatGPT, makes most of its revenue from such APIs. Tuesday also saw Meta launch a new standalone AI assistant app. Chief Product Officer Chris Cox said a priority was to make the new bot sound natural: "We were very focused on the voice experience, the most natural possible interface, so we focused a lot on low latency, highly expressive voice. The experience is personalized, so you can connect your Facebook and Instagram accounts and the assistant will have a rough idea of your interests based on your interaction history." Reuters has previously reported that Meta plans to test a paid subscription service for its AI chatbot in the second quarter.

Meta Launches New Standalone AI App, Rivaling ChatGPT

Facebook owner Meta Platforms has launched a standalone artificial-intelligence app, becoming the latest technology giant to enter a field already facing intense competition. The AI assistant, called Meta AI, was built using the company's large language model, Llama 4, and is available across its various social-media platforms, such as Instagram, WhatsApp and Facebook. This new standalone app will allow users to access Meta AI without going through its other products. "This is the beginning of what's going to be a long journey to build this out," Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg said in a Facebook post, adding that almost a billion people are using Meta AI across Meta-owned platforms. Meta's AI app features a "Discover feed," where users can share and explore how others use AI. It personalizes responses and tailors them to the content and information already shared by its existing users on its other social-media sites. It said the app is designed around voice conversations but doesn't currently have access to the web or real-time information. The standalone app by Meta puts it in direct competition with other AI chatbots, including OpenAI's ChatGPT. The growing adoption of AI services across various business fields, from healthcare to finance to manufacturing, is pushing tech companies to accelerate their own AI initiatives to remain competitive. Elon Musk's xAI launched its own Grok chatbot app earlier this year, while Google's Gemini app made its debut in 2024. Last month, OpenAI introduced an agent-building platform that allows companies to create their own bots for tasks such as financial analysis and customer service.

Meta introduces dedicated AI app to rival ChatGPT: Here's all it can do

HIGHLIGHTS Meta has launched a new standalone app for its AI chatbot. A standout feature of the app is voice interaction. The new app also comes with a Discover feed. Meta has launched a new standalone app for its AI chatbot- Meta AI - which is designed to offer a more personal and interactive AI experience. This puts it in direct competition with chatbots like ChatGPT. The main goal of Meta AI is to make conversations feel natural, helpful, and tailored to you. It can answer questions, give recommendations and help with daily tasks. Meta AI assistant provides more relevant answers by using the information you've chosen to share across Meta products, such as your profile details and the content you interact with. A standout feature of the app is voice interaction. You can speak to Meta AI just like you would with a friend. The app includes a demo of its new full-duplex speech technology. "This technology will deliver a more natural voice experience trained on conversational dialogue, so the AI is generating voice directly instead of reading written responses. It doesn't have access to the web or real-time information, but we wanted to provide a glimpse into the future by letting people experiment with this," Meta said in a blogpost. This voice feature is currently available in the US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Also read: Google to host separate Android event ahead of I/O 2025: Timings, how to watch and what to expect The Meta AI app also features a Discover feed. Here, users can explore interesting prompts, see how others are using AI, and share their own experiences. There's also an image generation and editing tool built right into the chat. The app connects with other Meta devices too. Ray-Ban Meta glasses users can now switch between the glasses and the app, continuing their conversations across both. Also read: Govt bans 16 Pakistani YouTube channels for communally sensitive content and misinformation against India On desktop, Meta AI has also been upgraded. It now supports voice, the Discover feed, better image generation experience. Meta is also testing a document editor that lets users create and export PDF files.