The competitive AI leader Meta has decided to set Meta AI as an independent application
Meta AI's standalone application is expected to launch in the second quarter, and Meta also plans to test a paid subscription service for Meta AI, similar to the monthly subscription model offered by OpenAI and Microsoft for the ChatGPT and Copilot chatbots. According to media reports, Meta will establish an independent AI app product called Meta AI, which will stand alongside Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, and is expected to launch in the second quarter.
Meta CEO's Strategy
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg had planned to surpass competitors like OpenAI and Alphabet in the field of artificial intelligence by the end of the year, and analysts believe this marks an important step in that plan. During the Meta fourth-quarter earnings call in January, Zuckerberg told analysts, "This year will be a year of highly intelligent and personalized AI assistants reaching over a billion people, and I expect Meta AI to become the leading AI assistant in this field."
Meta AI Development and Features
The Meta AI chatbot was launched in September 2023 within the company's applications, positioning it as a digital assistant based on generative artificial intelligence that can respond to user inputs and generate images within its existing applications. In April of this year, Meta further strengthened the position of Meta AI in its applications by replacing the search functions of Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger with the chatbot. Unlike competitive generative AI tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity, Meta AI is currently only accessible through the website or the company's applications like Facebook and WhatsApp.
Future Plans and Expansion
Sources told the media that while Meta's large user base can access Meta AI through its various applications, if it becomes a standalone app, users may be able to interact with Meta AI more deeply. Meta plans to test a paid subscription service for Meta AI, similar to the monthly payment models offered by OpenAI and Microsoft for ChatGPT and Copilot chatbots.
Market Trends and User Engagement
Meta CFO Susan Li mentioned that Meta AI has approximately 700 million monthly active users, with India being the largest market for Meta AI usage. In January, Li acknowledged that Meta AI usage is highest on WhatsApp, followed by Facebook. Meta also plans to launch a standalone Meta AI application, aligning with the strategy adopted by Google and Elon Musk's xAI for their respective digital assistants, Gemini and Grok.
Insiders revealed that Zuckerberg is continuously pressuring Meta's generative AI team to improve products, including Meta AI, to become the most used chat application globally by the end of the year.
