Meta plans to launch its AI chatbot, currently integrated within its social media apps, as a standalone app. Aiming to enhance user personalization and compete with OpenAI and Google, the separate app could debut between April and June 2024. CEO Mark Zuckerberg envisions a highly intelligent assistant, striving to reach over a billion users by 2025, amid a $65 billion investment in AI projects. Additionally, Meta is exploring a premium version of the AI, offering extra features to paid subscribers, aiming for significant monetization opportunities similar to competitors. The initiative underscores Meta’s commitment to leading in the AI landscape.
Meta is said to be preparing to introduce its artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot as an independent app. Currently, Meta AI is integrated into its social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp, and is accessible as a web client. However, the tech giant does not provide the platform as a dedicated mobile or desktop application. According to reports, the company aims to broaden the reach of its AI assistant and deliver a more personalized experience for users to compete with industry leaders like OpenAI and Google.
A CNBC report suggests that Meta is gearing up to release Meta AI as a separate application, in addition to its current social media offerings. Citing sources close to the situation, the report indicates that the app could debut in the second quarter of the year, which falls between April and June.
The initiative to launch a standalone Meta AI app appears to align with CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s vision of positioning the company as a leader in the AI domain by the end of 2025. The organization is said to view OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini as significant competitors, both of which are available as standalone applications.
Moreover, the company is reportedly considering the introduction of a premium version of Meta AI that would feature enhanced functionalities. This premium version will likely be available to paying subscribers, mirroring the monetization strategies employed by OpenAI, Microsoft, and Google. Susan Li, Meta’s Chief Financial Officer, reportedly informed analysts earlier this year that the company is focused on creating a “great consumer experience” with this AI assistant. She also emphasized the “clear monetisation opportunities” associated with Meta AI through paid recommendations.
During the company’s fourth-quarter earnings call in January, Zuckerberg expressed aspirations to make Meta AI a “highly intelligent and personalised AI assistant” that could reach over one billion users. According to an additional report, he mentioned that the tech giant plans to invest as much as $65 billion (approximately Rs. 5,61,908 crore) in AI initiatives in 2025, which includes plans for a new data center and the expansion of AI teams.