Zuckerberg-owned Meta which owns WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram on Monday announced the rollout of artificial intelligence tools on its popular apps in India.
The generative AI tool being rolled out for free on three of the most widely used mobile apps in the country has the potential to upend user convenience and experience in the country. “Use Meta AI on WhatsApp, Facebook, Messenger, and Instagram to get things done, learn, create and connect with the things that matter to you,” said a press release by Meta India.
Unlike other leading AI tools like Chat GPT, Meta AI doesn’t need any additional downloads and work within the existing (and commonly used) apps like WhatsApp. However, it remains to be seen how it will fare against Google’s Gemini AI, which is already available in India for some time, and which can answer questions in leading Indian languages as well (Meta AI, for now, can respond only to English).
The facility is being progressively rolled out, and once done, will be available alongside in your chats on WhatsApp or FB Messenger, as well as social feeds on Instagram and Facebook. “Get things done, create content, and deep dive on topics, without having to leave the app you’re using,” according to an official statement by the company.
Meta India spokesperson did not immediately respond to queries from THE WEEK.
Meta AI could help users with recommending restaurants or giving general knowledge tips and information, help students with their assignments and more. A standout feature is the ‘Imagine’ spec, where users can create photos and animated visuals on just text prompts.
Outside of the mobile apps, laptop users can access the tool via their web browser on meta.ai
The company’s AI efforts were founded as Facebook Artificial Intelligence Research (FAIR) more than a decade ago, headquartered in Silicon Valley with labs located from New York to Seattle, Tel Aviv and London. After being rebranded as Meta AI following the rechristening of Facebook Inc into Meta Platforms, it launched its Large Language Model Meta AI, or LLaMA about three months after OpenAI revolutionised the field of generative AI with its Chat-GPT 3. LLaMA is said to have a range of up to 6,500 crore parameters.
First unveiled at Meta’s Connect event, Meta Llama 3 was rolled out first in the US two months ago, beside a dozen other countries. Interestingly, Pakistan was selected ahead of India in the launch rollout, according to a Meta newsroom note.