Meta, the parent company of Facebook, is currently conducting trials for an artificial intelligence chatbot, tentatively named Meta AI. The chatbot is undergoing testing with selected users in India across Meta’s suite of platforms, including Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp.
Instagram Integration: On Instagram, Meta AI is accessible through the direct messaging (DM) feature. Users can tap on the Meta AI icon in the search bar to engage directly with the chatbot one-on-one. Similar to existing AI assistants like Google’s Gemini and OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Meta AI serves as a general-purpose assistant, offering answers to various queries and providing real-time information.
Functionality on Instagram: The assistant is equipped with text and image generation capabilities, allowing it to summarize lengthy texts for tasks such as editing, proofreading, language translation, and even creating poems and stories. Users can summon the assistant within personal and group chats on Instagram to seek advice, suggestions, or ask questions.
WhatsApp Trials: Reports indicate that Meta has commenced testing the chatbot on WhatsApp. Users have shared screenshots showcasing interactions with the chatbot on the platform.
Statement from Meta: A Meta spokesperson confirmed that the generative AI-powered experiences are undergoing various stages of development and are being publicly tested in a limited capacity.
Significance in the Indian Market: India stands as the largest market for Meta’s family of apps, including Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram, boasting a collective user base of over a billion monthly users.
Development of Meta AI: Meta introduced Meta AI in September 2023 as part of its significant push into generative AI. The company aims to integrate these capabilities into its applications used by over 3 billion people daily, positioning itself as a major player in the AI landscape alongside tech giants like Google and Microsoft.
Technical Details: Powered by a custom AI model, Meta AI leverages technology from the company’s open-source large language model (LLM) Llama 2.
Nithin Rosh 
Leslie Rajan