It's finally here, a year after its launch in the United States. Meta AI, the generative artificial intelligence (AI) assistant from the American giant Meta, will be progressively offered starting this Thursday in the European Union across all its applications (Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp), as reported by Afp.
"It took us longer than expected to implement our AI technology in Europe as we continue to navigate a complex European regulatory system, but we are pleased to have finally achieved it," the company explained in a statement.
Introduced in the United States in September 2023 and then rolled out in April 2024 across all group applications, Meta AI is a generative AI tool that answers users' questions by generating texts and images, similar to OpenAI's ChatGPT. It also has access to internet search engines.
It allows users to "learn more about current topics or get help with a tutorial," but it can also assist in planning a trip.
European text-focused version
Meta had so far suspended its deployment in the EU, citing a lack of visibility regarding the interpretation by European authorities of the various laws regulating new technologies, such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and those related to digital markets and AI.
Its CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, criticized in a column last summer, co-signed with Spotify's CEO, Daniel Ek, a "fragmented" European regulatory framework with "inconsistent implementation" that "slowed down innovation and developers."
After extensive negotiations with regulators, Meta is finally offering European consumers a text generation-focused interface, without images unlike the versions available in the US and non-European countries.
Another important point: Meta AI, available in six languages, was not trained with European user data.
Meta intends to deploy its assistant in 41 European countries, including France and Germany, as well as in 21 European overseas territories, gradually over the next few weeks.
Like other Silicon Valley giants, it has made AI a priority and plans to invest between 60,000 and 65,000 million dollars this year, much of it in data centers, servers, and network infrastructure, essential for the development of this technology.
"I expect an AI assistant to surpass one billion users this year, and for me, it will be Meta AI," said Mark Zuckerberg during his company's annual results presentation at the end of January. "Once a service reaches this scale," he added, "it typically gains a lasting advantage."
Meta currently has 700 million monthly active users for its assistant, which is expected to become a full-fledged application in the US, according to several US media outlets, to directly compete with Google's Gemini, ChatGPT, or Anthropic's Claude.