On Tuesday, meta platforms Inc. launched a brand - new stand - alone artificial intelligence application, meta AI, directly challenging popular chatbots like OpenAI's ChatGPT.

Meta AI is built upon Meta's Llama large language model technology. Previously, it was integrated into social apps such as Instagram, WhatsApp, and facebook. Now, with the stand - alone version, users can access Meta AI without having to go through other Meta products.

Mark Zuckerberg, Meta's Chief Executive Officer, emphasized in a video posted on Instagram that "Meta AI is designed to be your personal AI — that means, first, it’s designed around voice conversations." He described this voice - centric digital assistant as a tool that can assist users in learning about news or navigating personal issues.

In the rapidly evolving landscape of artificial intelligence, the competition among chatbots has become fierce. OpenAI's ChatGPT, since its release in 2022, has rapidly become a cultural phenomenon, with Sam Altman, OpenAI's Chief Executive Officer, stating that the tool reaches approximately 800 million users weekly. Against this backdrop, Meta's executives believe that their chatbot, Meta AI, offers a distinct experience, thanks to its voice and personalization capabilities, as well as its access to data from Meta's social media platforms.

By leveraging data from Meta's sites, the new AI app can gain a basic understanding of users' interests. Zuckerberg said, "You’re going to be able to let Meta AI know a whole lot about you and the people you care about across our apps if you want."

The stand - alone app also features a social feed, called Discover feed. Here, users can share how they are using AI, and it will be connected to the company's Ray - Ban Meta smart glasses. Zuckerberg noted, "This is the beginning of what’s going to be a long journey to build this out."

Meta announced the app ahead of its first - ever AI - focused LlamaCon conference in Menlo Park, California. During the event, the company previewed the Llama API, a developer platform it is creating, and new initiatives aimed at improving inference speeds and better detecting and preventing AI - generated scams, fraud, and phishing attempts.

Meta's foray into the stand - alone AI app space is not a sudden move. In September 2023, the company launched an AI chatbot, positioning it as a generative AI - powered digital assistant capable of providing responses and creating images based on user prompts within its existing apps. In April this year, Meta brought Meta AI to the forefront of its apps, replacing the search features on Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger with the chatbot. In January, Zuckerberg expressed his belief that "2025 is going to be the year when a highly intelligent and personalized AI assistant reaches more than 1 billion people, and I expect Meta AI to be that leading AI assistant." At that time, Susan Li, Meta's finance chief, said that as of January, Meta AI had roughly 700 million monthly active users, up from 600 million in December.

Meta's launch of the stand - alone app comes at a time when competition in the AI field is intensifying. Google and Elon Musk's xAI have recently released individual apps for their digital assistants, Gemini and Grok, respectively. The unveiling of Meta AI during the LlamaCon developer event has also put the spotlight on whether Meta's AI investments can have an immediate business impact. In January, the company announced plans to spend up to $65 billion this year to expand its AI infrastructure.

Moreover, Meta's AI app can utilize the information that users have chosen to share on Meta products, such as profiles and engaged - with content, to provide personalized responses. Currently, these personalized services are available in the United States and Canada. Users can also proactively provide more personal information for the AI to use in future conversations. However, users should be cautious about how Meta will use the data shared with the chatbot, as Meta relies on a vast amount of user data to fuel its targeted advertising business, which constitutes the majority of its revenue.

The Discover feed in the app allows users to choose whether to share their AI - using experiences with friends. This may give rise to certain generative AI trends.

In the stock market, Meta's shares (META) have shown a notable performance recently. As of April 29, 2025, the stock was trading at $554.44, up $4.70 or 0.85% from the previous close. In the past month, shares of Meta have returned +5.8%, outperforming the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +4.8% change. Analysts have a generally positive outlook on Meta's stock. Based on 48 analysts offering 12 - month price targets in the last 3 months, the average price target is $764.61, representing a 14.43% upside from the current price. This positive sentiment is likely due to Meta's strong financial performance, with its third - quarter 2024 revenue showing an 18.9% year - over - year increase to $406 billion, exceeding analyst expectations. Also, its AI - related initiatives, like the launch of Meta AI, are seen as potential growth drivers in the long run.

Conclusion

Meta's introduction of the stand - alone AI app, Meta AI, marks a significant strategic move in the AI landscape. With its unique features such as voice interaction, personalization, and social sharing, Meta AI aims to carve out a niche in the highly competitive AI market. It not only reflects Meta's business aspirations in the AI era but also promises to offer users a novel AI experience. As AI technology continues to evolve, it remains to be seen whether Meta AI can gain an edge over competitors like ChatGPT and how it will shape the future of AI - powered social interactions and applications.