Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg recently unveiled the company’s new artificial intelligence (AI)-powered assistant called Meta AI. This AI assistant is Meta’s response to OpenAI’s ChatGPT and is designed to integrate with popular platforms like Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp, and Meta’s own mixed reality devices.
During the Meta Connect event on September 27, Zuckerberg explained that Meta AI is powered by the company’s large language model, Llama 2. It has been developed in collaboration with Microsoft Bing to provide users with real-time information from the internet. Zuckerberg described Meta AI as a basic assistant that users can interact with as if they were talking to a person.
One standout feature of Meta AI is its ability to generate images. This is made possible by a new image generation tool called Emu, which Meta trained on a vast amount of data, including photos and captions shared by users on Facebook and Instagram.
Zuckerberg emphasized that Meta’s overarching strategy with AI is to create different products for different use cases. This sets Meta AI apart from its competitor, ChatGPT, which aims to be a one-size-fits-all chatbot. Zuckerberg showcased how Meta AI can be tailored to each of Meta’s social media apps. For example, it could assist with organizing travel plans in group chats on Facebook Messenger.
In addition to its practical functionalities, Meta’s chatbots are also designed to be conversational and entertaining. As part of its entertainment-focused AI products, Meta announced a collection of chatbots based on around 30 celebrities, including Paris Hilton, Snoop Dogg, and Tom Brady.
Meta AI will be available for a limited group of United States-based users on Facebook Messenger, Instagram, and WhatsApp. It will also be accessible on Meta’s new smart glasses, set to be released on October 17, as well as its new Quest 3 VR device.
On the same day as the Meta Connect event, OpenAI made an announcement regarding their chatbot, ChatGPT. OpenAI revealed that ChatGPT will no longer be limited to data before 2021. This update, available for Plus and Enterprise users, addresses the issue of ChatGPT’s knowledge base having an ever-widening gap. Previously, the knowledge base only extended until 2021, when the model was finalized for production.
Overall, Meta AI represents Meta’s push to leverage AI technology across their platforms and devices. With its integration capabilities and focus on customization, Meta AI aims to provide users with a personalized and interactive assistant experience.