As part of its efforts to enhance its AI capabilities in a competitive market, Meta, the parent company of Facebook, announced on June 24 the launch of its artificial intelligence chatbot, Meta AI, in India. This move comes after testing the AI chatbot with a select group of users in India, the company’s largest market with over a billion app users.
Rival Google also recently introduced its AI chatbot Gemini’s mobile app with support for nine Indian languages in India. Following the conclusion of this month’s general elections, several launches have taken place.
All of Meta’s apps, including Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp, will now support Meta AI in English. Users can also access the chatbot through the newly developed Meta.ai website. In April, Meta unveiled a new version of Meta AI powered by its latest language model, Llama 3. The chatbot has been deployed in more than twelve countries, including the US, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, Uganda, and Zimbabwe.
Mark Zuckerberg, Meta’s CEO, expressed his confidence in Meta AI, stating, “We believe that Meta AI is now the most intelligent AI assistant that you can freely use with this new model.”
What’s the Buzz About Meta AI?
Meta AI was initially introduced by Meta in September 2023 as part of a significant push towards generative AI. The chatbot allows direct communication with users and serves as a versatile assistant capable of answering various queries and providing real-time information from Bing and Google.
Users can generate text and graphics, summarize lengthy texts, assist with writing tasks such as editing and proofreading, translate texts across languages, and even create poetry and short stories. By summoning an assistant into their ongoing WhatsApp, Instagram, and Messenger chats, users can seek advice or ask questions.
For instance, users can ask for trip suggestions for a group outing or meal ideas for a dinner party, and Meta AI will provide options within the conversation. To engage with the chatbot, users simply need to type ‘@’ in the message area and then mention Meta AI.
Meta AI has also been integrated into the search bar of Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger apps. Users can access Meta AI while browsing through their Facebook feed, allowing them to inquire further about any topic that catches their interest.
For example, if a user sees a photo of the northern lights in Iceland, they can ask Meta AI about the best time to witness the aurora borealis. Similarly, if someone comes across a picture of a person playing the guitar, they can request Meta AI for popular guitar songs to play.