Meta Launches Stand-Alone AI App
Meta Platforms has launched a stand-alone synthetic intelligence app constructed on its proprietary Llama 4 mannequin, intensifying the aggressive race in generative AI alongside OpenAI, Google, Anthropic, and xAI.
The brand new “Meta AI” app marks the corporate’s boldest step but in bringing customized, conversational AI to the forefront of its ecosystem. It gives customers a devoted expertise distinct from the prevailing AI capabilities embedded in Fb, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger. The app includes a social-infused “Uncover” feed displaying how others are partaking with Meta AI, together with pre-set prompts to encourage utilization. It integrates voice chat powered by Llama 4 and full-duplex speech expertise, permitting extra fluid, back-and-forth conversations — although the function stays in early testing and is initially restricted to customers within the U.S., Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has described 2025 as “the 12 months when a extremely smart and customized AI assistant reaches greater than 1 billion folks,” positioning Meta AI as a number one contender. The corporate’s inner numbers confirmed 700 million month-to-month lively customers for Meta AI as of January, up from 600 million in December.
The stand-alone app rollout places Meta in direct competitors with AI chatbots like OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Google’s Gemini, Anthropic’s Claude, and xAI’s Grok. It additionally follows current strikes by Google and xAI to debut their very own devoted cellular apps for his or her assistants.
The app additionally replaces the previous Meta View app for Ray-Ban Meta sensible glasses, consolidating the AI expertise throughout units. Customers can begin a voice dialog on their glasses and resume it later by way of the app or internet interface. Personalised responses draw from a consumer’s Fb and Instagram profiles — if linked by way of Meta’s Account Heart — and enhance with continued use.
Meta says its crypto language mannequin, Llama 4, delivers extra pure and context-aware responses, higher dealing with voice enter and integrating picture era and enhancing capabilities. Whereas the AI can’t entry real-time internet knowledge, Meta is testing new options reminiscent of doc era, file imports for evaluation, and desktop-optimized internet instruments with expanded inventive choices.
Voice stays a cornerstone of Meta’s AI technique. Customers can toggle the “Prepared to speak” function within the settings to allow default voice interplay, and a visual icon signifies when the microphone is lively.
The app launch comes forward of Meta’s Q1 earnings report on Wednesday. Buyers are watching carefully for indicators that Meta’s aggressive AI investments — projected to hit $65 billion this 12 months — are translating into industrial returns.
Concerning the Creator
John K. Waters is the editor in chief of a lot of Converge360.com websites, with a concentrate on high-end improvement, AI and future tech. He is been writing about cutting-edge applied sciences and tradition of Silicon Valley for greater than two a long time, and he is written greater than a dozen books. He additionally co-scripted the documentary movie Silicon Valley: A 100 12 months Renaissance, which aired on PBS. He might be reached at [email protected].