Meta is expanding its AI footprint beyond integrations with WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, and Messenger by launching a dedicated stand-alone AI app. Revealed during the company’s LlamaCon event on Tuesday, the new app brings Meta AI directly to users in a way that mirrors the ChatGPT app and other popular AI assistant tools. Reports Technology News
To stand out in the increasingly crowded AI landscape, Meta is banking on a key differentiator: familiarity. Unlike OpenAI or Anthropic, Meta already knows a lot about you — your interests, social circles, and behavior — thanks to years of data collected through its platforms like Facebook and Instagram.
This new app takes advantage of that insight. According to Meta, it can provide personalized responses by “[drawing] on information you’ve already chosen to share on Meta products,” including your profile and activity. Currently, these customized experiences are rolling out in the U.S. and Canada.
Users also have the option to offer Meta’s AI even more context to remember for future chats. For instance, you could tell it that you’re lactose intolerant, so next time you ask for vacation tips, it won’t suggest a wine and cheese tour.
Of course, all this personalization comes with a trade-off: data. Meta’s massive advertising business thrives on user data, so it’s important for users to stay aware of how their interactions with the AI might be used behind the scenes.
Another feature in the new app is the Discover feed — a social layer that lets users share their AI interactions with friends. In a sample shared by Meta, one user asks the AI to describe them in three emojis, then posts the result to their feed. Meta clarifies that nothing is shared publicly unless the user chooses to do so.
This feed could spark viral AI trends, like the recent wave of people transforming themselves into Barbie dolls or Studio Ghibli characters. Then again, not every app necessarily needs a social feed (looking at you, Venmo).
