Meta has launched a standalone AI assistant app, entering direct competition with OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini. Previously, Meta’s AI assistant was only accessible through its platforms like Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger. The new app allows users to interact with Meta AI independently, offering more personalized and relevant responses by leveraging information from users’ Meta profiles and activity.
The assistant is powered by Meta’s latest Llama 4 large language model, which brings improved reasoning, multilingual support, and enhanced efficiency. The app also introduces new voice and social features, including a “Discover” feed that lets users see and share how others use AI. It will serve as the primary companion app for Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses, consolidating AI, voice, and social capabilities into one platform.
Meta plans to test a paid subscription for advanced AI features, following a model similar to OpenAI and Microsoft, but the standard AI assistant remains free for now. CEO Mark Zuckerberg has stated that he expects Meta AI to become the world’s leading AI assistant, aiming to reach over a billion users by the end of the year.