Meta plans to launch standalone Meta AI app. OpenAI's Sam Altman Responds
Meta is reportedly planning to spin off Meta AI into a standalone app to compete with ChatGPT. OpenAI’s Sam Altman immediately responded with a heavy dose of snark. According to CNBC, Meta plans to make Meta AI — currently embedded within Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp — into its own app in the second quarter of this year.
Mark Zuckerberg's Ambition
CEO Mark Zuckerberg aims to make Meta AI the leading AI assistant, challenging competitors like ChatGPT, Google Gemini, and xAI’s Grok. “This is going to be the year when a highly intelligent and personalized AI assistant reaches more than 1 billion people, and I expect Meta AI to be that leading AI assistant,” said Zuckerberg in a fourth quarter earnings call in January.
However, Meta faces challenges as the world hasn’t embraced Meta AI as enthusiastically as ChatGPT, which became the fastest growing app of all time shortly after its launch. When Meta hard-launched Meta AI by making it the default search bar on its platforms, people had negative reactions and found it impossible to disable.
Altman's Response
ChatGPT, with over 300 million weekly active users, caught the attention of Altman who expressed skepticism about Meta AI’s ambitious plans. Altman mentioned the possibility of creating a social app in response to Meta's move.
Altman also made a somewhat snarky comment about potentially outplaying Facebook in a humorous manner. He referenced the Uno game card and meme, suggesting a lighthearted competition between the two companies.
Challenges Faced by Meta AI
Zuckerberg sees Meta AI as crucial for increasing engagement and monetizing the company's apps. However, past efforts, such as confusing celebrity AI avatars and controversial AI characters, have faced backlash and been shut down. Additionally, Meta's data gathering practices have raised concerns about user privacy and trust.
Despite these challenges, Meta continues to push forward with its plans for Meta AI, aiming to compete in the AI assistant market. The competition between Meta AI, ChatGPT, and other AI technologies will continue to shape the future of AI assistants and their integration into everyday platforms.
