Meta debuts standalone AI assistant to rival ChatGPT

[WORLD] Meta on Tuesday rolled out its first dedicated AI assistant app, marking a significant step in the tech giant’s push into the generative AI space. The new standalone platform offers users direct access to Meta’s artificial intelligence technology—distinct from previous AI features integrated within WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook.

“A billion people are using Meta AI across our apps now, so we made a new standalone Meta AI app for you to check out,” CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced in an Instagram video.

The launch intensifies competition in the rapidly evolving AI landscape, where Meta faces off against industry heavyweights including OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic. Unlike earlier AI deployments embedded in Meta’s social and messaging apps, the new application creates a dedicated environment for user interaction with Meta’s AI, free from the distractions of social media feeds.

Described by Zuckerberg as “your personal AI,” the app primarily operates through voice interactions, with conversations tailored to individual users. “We’re starting off really basic, with just a little bit of context about your interests,” he said, adding that over time, users will be able to share more personal details to enhance the AI’s utility—if they choose to do so.

Analysts suggest that Meta’s emphasis on personalization could differentiate its assistant in a crowded market. By leveraging its extensive user data, the company aims to fine-tune AI responses. However, the strategy also raises concerns about privacy, a sensitive issue given Meta’s past controversies over data practices. In response, the company has pledged to provide users with detailed controls over what information the AI can access.

In a nod to its social media roots, the app also includes a communal feed showcasing AI-generated content created by other users. “We learn from seeing each other do it, so we put this right in the app,” said Chris Cox, Meta’s chief product officer, at the company’s LlamaCon developer conference. “You can share your prompts. You can share your art. It’s super fun.”

The AI assistant also replaces the Meta View app as the companion platform for Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses, enabling users to transition seamlessly between glasses, mobile, and desktop interfaces. “We were very focused on the voice experience; the most natural possible interface,” Cox explained.

This integration highlights Meta’s ambition to lead the emerging “ambient computing” movement—embedding AI into everyday devices to foster more natural, intuitive interactions. Whether that vision translates into widespread adoption will depend on the assistant’s real-world performance.

An experimental mode also debuts with the app, allowing more conversational, human-like exchanges. “You can hear interruptions and laughter and an actual dialog—just like a phone call,” said Cox. However, the feature currently lacks real-time internet access, limiting its ability to answer timely queries such as sports updates or global events.

Users can opt to let Meta AI learn from their activity on Facebook and Instagram, remembering personal details like birthdays and names to enhance its assistant capabilities. “It will also remember things you tell it like your kids’ names; your wife’s birthday, and other things you want to make sure your assistant doesn’t forget,” Cox said.

Although it currently trails behind ChatGPT Plus in terms of real-time web access, Meta hinted at possible future partnerships with search providers or knowledge databases. For now, the focus remains on refining the AI’s conversational quality and building user trust—a key hurdle as Meta looks to convert its massive social media audience into regular AI users.

The debut comes as OpenAI continues to lead the direct-to-consumer AI market with its regularly updated ChatGPT platform. At LlamaCon, Meta spotlighted its open-source Llama AI model, promoting flexibility for developers to customize the software. This contrasts with OpenAI’s proprietary approach, where internal workings remain under wraps.

“Part of the value around open source is that you can mix and match,” Zuckerberg told developers at the event. “You have the ability to take the best parts of the intelligence from the different models and produce exactly what you need, which I think is going to be very powerful.”