Meta just dropped a game-changer: a brand-new standalone AI app that’s ready to go toe-to-toe with heavyweights like OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini. Launched on Tuesday, this move shows Meta’s not messing around when it comes to staking its claim in the fast-moving world of artificial intelligence. It’s a big leap from just weaving AI into its social apps like Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger.
The app, built on Meta’s shiny new Llama 4 model, feels like a friend who knows you well. It’s got this cool Discover feed that lets you peek at how others are chatting with it and tosses out ideas to get you started. Plus, it plays nice with Meta’s AI glasses and companion app, making it super versatile. Llama 4 is no slouch either—it’s designed to keep up with the best, matching wits with models from OpenAI, Google, Deepseek, and Anthropic with sharper reasoning, support for multiple languages, and a knack for getting things done efficiently.
Meta’s been on this AI train for a while. Back in September 2023, they rolled out an AI chatbot, and by April 2024, it had taken over the search bar across their apps. Susan Li, Meta’s finance chief, shared that as of January 2025, the assistant was pulling in 700 million monthly users, up from 600 million the month before. Mark Zuckerberg’s got big dreams for it, too. In January, he said he’s betting 2025 will be the year Meta’s AI hits over a billion users, making it the go-to assistant for tons of people.
The timing’s no coincidence. Meta kicked off its first-ever LlamaCon event in Menlo Park, California, on the same day, showing off its Llama models to developers. It’s a loud and clear message that Meta’s all-in on AI, with plans to pour up to $65 billion into its AI setup this year. With first-quarter earnings coming out Wednesday, everyone’s curious to see if these big bets are paying off.
Meta’s not alone in this race. Google and Elon Musk’s xAI recently launched their own standalone apps for Gemini and Grok, so the competition’s fierce. Meta’s also testing the waters with a paid version of its AI chatbot, set to start in Q2 2025, though the real cash might not roll in until 2026.
Meta is proclaiming, “We’re here to win,” with this new app. Meta isn’t simply keeping up; it’s trying to transform our relationship with technology and take the lead in the AI competition by leveraging its massive user base and integrating AI more deeply into its reality.
