Meta amps up AI race with new app

Meta ramped up its artificial intelligence offerings and launched a separate Meta AI app yesterday, similar to OpenAI’s ChatGPT.

Launched for its AI assistant, the app can give users more personalized answers as it can use information from their Instagram and Facebook activity.

Unveiled at Meta’s LlamaCon, the app also features a Discover feed where users can share their AI interactions. The social media giant had previously integrated the Meta AI assistant into its Messenger, Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp platforms, allowing a smoother transition.

Meta says the tailored response feature, currently available to the US and Canada users, differentiates it from other AI assistants.

CEO Mark Zuckerberg predicts that in 2025, 1 billion people will use AI assistants, and he’s betting Meta AI will lead the pack.

As of January, Meta AI had 700 million monthly active users, up 100 million from December. With plans to invest up to $65 billion into AI this year, Meta is going all in.

The move puts it in direct competition with ChatGPT, Google’s Gemini, Anthropic’s Claude, and Elon Musk’s Grok. Meta’s AI edge comes from years of behavioral insights, which also fuel its ad business.