How does Meta AI work?
Meta AI works as a chat assistant that sits inside the search bars and message threads of Meta’s apps. Users open it through the blue circle icon, type or speak a question, and get a text answer, a generated image or a summary. In WhatsApp group chats anyone can call it by typing @MetaAI followed by a request.
Under the hood Meta AI runs on Meta’s own large language models. At launch in September 2023 it used Llama 2 plus an orchestrator that sent real-time questions to Microsoft Bing. The standalone app from April 2025 ran on Llama 4, and in April 2026 Meta Superintelligence Labs released Muse Spark, a new model family that now powers the app, the glasses and the features in Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger.
History of Meta AI: key dates
Meta AI grew from a US-only beta into a global assistant in under three years. The table lists the milestones.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 27 September 2023 | Meta announces Meta AI at Connect, a US beta on WhatsApp, Messenger and Instagram built on Llama 2 |
| 19 March 2025 | Meta AI starts rolling out in 41 European countries, Poland included, in six languages at first |
| 29 April 2025 | Standalone Meta AI app launches at LlamaCon, built on Llama 4 |
| 1 October 2025 | Meta announces that AI chats will personalise ads from 16 December 2025 |
| November 2025 | Meta AI starts answering in Polish |
| April 2026 | Muse Spark, the first model from Meta Superintelligence Labs, starts powering Meta AI |
Meta AI features
Meta AI combines chat, search, image generation and voice in one assistant. The H3s below describe what each surface does.
Chat and search inside the apps
On Facebook and Instagram the search bar uses Meta AI to suggest Reels, posts and profiles, while in Messenger and WhatsApp it acts like a chatbot in a private thread. This is the biggest difference from ChatGPT: people do not need to download anything, because the assistant already sits in apps they open every day.
The Meta AI app and glasses
The standalone app adds a Discover feed where users share prompts, a voice mode and the Vibes video generator. It also works with Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses, so users can talk to the assistant hands-free.
Image generation
Since 2023 Meta AI has created images from text prompts in seconds. Brands see these images reused in comments, group chats and memes, which is a new form of user-generated content.
Meta AI in marketing, ads and AI search
Meta AI matters to marketers because it turns private conversations into an ad signal and a new discovery channel. According to Meta’s October 2025 announcement, from 16 December 2025 the topics people discuss with Meta AI shape the ads and posts they see on Facebook and Instagram. Sensitive topics such as health, religion and politics are excluded, and the change does not apply in the EU, the UK and South Korea, so Polish users are not affected.
For organic visibility, Meta AI behaves like any answer engine: it summarises what it finds and recommends brands it understands. In my SEO projects I treat Meta AI as a third source of AI answers next to Google Gemini and ChatGPT, and I check whether it names the client when asked category questions. This is part of Generative Engine Optimization, which I cover on the AI SEO services page.
Meta AI vs ChatGPT
| Feature | Meta AI | ChatGPT |
|---|---|---|
| Company | Meta Platforms | OpenAI |
| Where people use it | Inside WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, Messenger, glasses, own app | Own app, website and integrations |
| Models | Llama (2023 to 2025), Muse (from 2026) | GPT family |
Frequently asked questions about Meta AI
What is Meta AI?
Meta AI is the AI assistant from Meta Platforms built into WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, Messenger, Ray-Ban Meta glasses and a standalone app. It answers questions, generates images and helps users search inside Meta's apps.
When was Meta AI launched?
Meta announced Meta AI on 27 September 2023 at its Connect conference as a US beta. It reached 41 European countries from March 2025, and the standalone app followed on 29 April 2025.
Is Meta AI free?
Meta AI is free to use in WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, Messenger and the standalone Meta AI app. The app itself is a free download that connects to Instagram and Facebook accounts.
Does Meta use Meta AI chats for ads?
Meta uses conversations with Meta AI to personalise ads and content from 16 December 2025 in most regions. The change does not apply in the EU, the UK and South Korea, and sensitive topics are excluded.
Related terms
- From AI assistant to image restyler: Meta's new AI features · TechCrunch
- Europe, Meet Your Newest Assistant: Meta AI · Meta Newsroom
- Meta's AI app: everything to know about the tech giant's new assistant · Euronews
- Meta plans to use AI chat data for ad targeting starting December · PPC Land
- Meta AI przemówił po polsku. Asystent już rozumie nasz język · Instalki.pl
- Meta releases first new AI model since shaking up team · Qatar Tribune (Reuters)
