Meta AI Review: A Convenient but Unimpressive Virtual Assistant
If we had Meta AI before ChatGPT, I might have been more impressed by Meta's virtual assistant. Or if we didn't already have Microsoft Copilot, which is also connected to the open internet to use real-time information in its responses. Or Perplexity, with its Reddit database. Even Meta's defining differentiator, its Imagine image generator, isn't mind-blowing compared to Dall-E 3 and Adobe Firefly. It's better than "hallucination station" Google Gemini, but it's certainly not better than CNET's current reigning champ, Anthropic's Claude -- and Claude isn't even connected to the open internet.
Meta AI's Background and Development
The beta version of Meta AI was announced in September 2023, after it was developed into a full-blown conversational assistant from the "large language model Meta AI" AKA Llama. Meta has integrated the chatbot widely across its products and platforms, showing promise for future development and improvements.
Testing Meta AI
CNET rigorously tests AI chatbots to determine how they perform in various real-world scenarios. Meta AI, powered by Llama 3, was evaluated as a shopping aide, recipe creator, research tool, and image generator. The chatbots are scored based on factors such as accuracy, creativity of responses, and response speed.
Privacy and Usage of Meta AI
Meta's terms of service state that information submitted to its generative AI chats may be retained and used. Users are advised not to share sensitive information. Meta also mentions sharing information with third parties to provide more relevant responses, subject to privacy policies. Users have the option to delete their chat history with Meta AI.
Image Generation and Shopping Assistance
Utilizing Meta AI's "Imagine" function allows users to create AI-generated images, although results may vary in quality. The AI also serves as a helpful shopping assistant, recommending products based on user preferences and requirements, offering comparisons and insights.
Recipe Recommendations and Research Capabilities
Meta AI simplifies the process of finding recipes and conducting research by providing straightforward instructions and sourcing relevant information. However, its research capabilities may fall short in terms of timeliness and source credibility compared to other AI assistants like Claude and Copilot.
Despite its convenience, Meta AI still has room for improvement to match the standards set by its competitors in the virtual assistant market.
