Meta has seriously entered the AI race
Meta has announced a significant update to its Meta AI assistant and its underlying large language model, Llama 3. The Meta AI assistant, which was initially introduced last September, is now being integrated into all of Meta's core platforms including Facebook, Instagram, Whatsapp, and Messenger. Users can engage with the assistant through search bars, message inboxes, and even directly within the Facebook feed. _1.png)
In addition to this integration, a standalone web app for Meta AI has been launched for the very first time.
The success of Meta AI heavily relies on the capabilities of Llama 3, the latest iteration of Meta's foundational open-source large language model. Meta claims that Llama 3 surpasses its competitors in key benchmarks and excels particularly in tasks such as coding. Two versions of Llama 3, one with 8 billion parameters and the other with 70 billion parameters, are being made available for both internal use within the Meta AI assistant and for external developers. 
Furthermore, a much larger multimodal version is set to be released in the near future.
Unique Features of Meta AI
Meta AI comes with a variety of unique features that set it apart from other AI assistants. For instance, it is the only known chatbot that can provide real-time search results from both Google and Bing. Moreover, it has the ability to create image animations and high-resolution images instantly. 
The assistant also offers prompt suggestions to assist users in understanding its capabilities, ultimately aiming to enhance user-friendliness.
Expansion beyond the US
Although initially launched in the US, Meta AI is expanding its reach to English-speaking countries such as Australia, Canada, and several nations in Africa and South Asia. This expansion brings the assistant closer to Meta's extensive user base of over 3 billion individuals.
Meta's strategy with Meta AI reflects its past successes with features like Stories and Reels, which were inspired by competitors but implemented on a larger scale. While acknowledging that Meta AI is not currently a major player in the AI assistant arena, CEO Mark Zuckerberg is confident that this broader rollout will introduce it to a broader audience.
