Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook, on Tuesday launched a separate app for its Meta AI assistant, in a move mirroring offerings from Microsoft-backed OpenAI and Google.
The standalone app is part of Meta’s broader strategy to expand the usage of its AI assistant beyond its existing platforms—WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook and Messenger.
The launch also reflects CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s efforts to strengthen Meta’s foothold in the increasingly competitive AI landscape, challenging major players such as OpenAI and Google.
The dedicated app will offer more personalised responses by drawing on contextual information and user-specific data from Facebook and Instagram accounts.
Meta AI, first introduced in September 2023, is a virtual assistant designed to perform reasoning tasks using large language models.
Meta AI is powered by Llama 4, the company’s latest large language model, which aims to compete with advanced models from OpenAI, Google, Deepseek and Anthropic. It boasts improved reasoning capabilities, multilingual support, and greater efficiency.
The new app will also integrate with Meta’s AI-powered smart glasses and replace the current companion app, according to the company.
Meta plans to begin testing a paid subscription model for advanced versions of its AI chatbot in the second quarter.
