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Meta Platforms has announced the launch of a new stand-alone artificial intelligence application, positioning itself to compete directly with OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT.
The upcoming AI assistant is powered by Meta’s Llama AI model, as detailed by the company on Tuesday. This innovative tool will feature a Discover feed that allows users to see how others utilize the application, as well as capabilities for creating images.
This development aligns with an earlier report from February by CNBC, which indicated that Meta was exploring avenues for entering the competitive field of AI. The new application will add to the growing competition, joining existing platforms like ChatGPT, Anthropic’s Claude, xAI’s Grok, and Google’s Gemini.
In September 2023, Meta had introduced an AI chatbot, branding it as a generative AI-powered assistant that responds to queries and can generate images based on user inputs. The company integrated this chatbot across its major platforms—Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger—replacing traditional search functionalities with the AI assistant.
Mark Zuckerberg expressed optimism in January, predicting that 2025 could mark a breakthrough year for AI assistants, with expectations of reaching over one billion users. He anticipates that Meta AI will lead that charge.
As of January, Meta AI boasted approximately 700 million monthly active users, a sizable increase from 600 million in December, according to Meta’s finance chief, Susan Li.
The introduction of the stand-alone Meta AI app follows similar launches by key players like Google and Elon Musk’s xAI, both of which have recently unveiled dedicated applications for their own AI assistants, Gemini and Grok respectively.
The announcement coincides with Meta’s inaugural LlamaCon developer event taking place at its headquarters in Menlo Park, California, focusing on the Llama series of AI models. Investors are keenly observing for tangible results from Meta’s significant investments in AI infrastructure, with the company recently indicating plans to allocate up to $65 billion this year for expansion in this area.
Meta is scheduled to release its first-quarter earnings on Wednesday.
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www.cnbc.com