Meta has released a new app designed to go head-to-head with ChatGPT but with a twist. This AI assistant is “social,” with a voice aiming to offer a more personal experience. The app builds on Meta’s existing AI features already found across Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger.

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What is Meta AI?

The app builds on the AI already used inside Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger. But this new version is more personal, letting users chat by voice or text, generate images, and get real-time information from the web.

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“Meta AI is built to get to know you, so its answers are more helpful,” said the company. “It’s easy to talk to, so it’s more seamless and natural to interact with,” Meta added.

What are the key features of Meta’s AI app?

  • Voice conversations for a more natural feel
  • Real-time web results for up-to-date answers
  • Image generation on demand
  • A Discover feed where users can post and interact with AI-generated content
  • Personalised responses using Facebook and Instagram data (in the US and Canada)
  • Support for Meta’s smart glasses, combining software and hardware features
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What is the 'Discover feed'?

The app’s standout feature is the Discover section, a social-style feed showing how others are using Meta AI. People can share prompts, responses, and even remix or comment on AI content.

This feature aims to help users explore ideas and see what the AI can do. Friends’ posts from Facebook and Instagram may also appear if they choose to share them.

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How does voice mode work?

Meta is testing a more advanced voice interaction feature using its “full-duplex” AI model. This lets the assistant handle quick exchanges, interruptions, and back-and-forth chatter, making conversations feel more human.

Although the beta voice mode is available only through opt-in and doesn’t yet pull in live web results, it shows where Meta is heading with voice-based AI.

Will Meta AI replace any existing apps?

Yes. The new app takes over from the View companion app used for Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses. Users will still find features like galleries and controls for their glasses, now combined with the AI assistant in a single app.

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“We built a new thing for you,” said Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg. “There are almost a billion people who are using Meta AI across an app, so we made a new standalone app,” Zuckerberg added.

Can Meta AI remember things about you?

Like ChatGPT, Meta AI can be taught to remember details about you, helping it give more useful replies over time. In some regions, it also learns from your Facebook and Instagram activity to fine-tune its answers.

Zuckerberg called this “the beginning of what is going to be a long journey,” as Meta pushes ahead in the AI race.