Meta has launched its new AI personal assistant, Meta AI, across WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram, offering users advanced text and image generation capabilities.
This new feature is positioned to enhance productivity and creativity without the need for additional downloads or websites, setting it apart from competitors like Google’s Gemini, OpenAI’s ChatGPT, and Microsoft’s Copilot.
During its pilot phase in India, Meta AI has been used for a variety of purposes including information gathering, learning, coding assistance, and social media content creation. Users have found it particularly helpful for generating captions, Instagram threads, and stylised brand logos. The AI’s seamless integration into widely-used apps reportedly makes it is accessible to a broad user base across multiple platforms, including Android, iOS, and the web.
During a media briefing, Ryan Cairns, Meta's Vice President of Engineering, stressed the broad accessibility of Meta AI, noting that it provides extensive distribution and availability. Unlike platform-specific assistants like Google Assistant and Apple’s Siri, Meta AI works across all major platforms, making it a versatile tool for users.
Addressing concerns about data usage, Cairns stated that leveraging public information to train AI models is a standard practice in the industry. He reassured that Meta is committed to building AI responsibly, with a strong focus on safety and rigorous testing to mitigate risks. Meta’s AI models are updated every two weeks based on user feedback, which helps improve accuracy and reduce misinformation.