Meta AI explained: What does the new feature on Facebook and Instagram do and can it be turned it off?

META AI is a powerful artificial intelligence assistant that has been integrated into Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger.

The feature aims to enhance user experience by providing a range of AI-powered capabilities directly within these popular social media platforms.

Rollout

Meta AI was first announced at Meta Connect 2023, which took place on September 25, 2023.

At this event, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg delivered a keynote address about various topics including chatbots and generative AI.

Meta AI was initially launched in the United States in September 2023, setting the stage for its subsequent rollout to different countries and platforms throughout 2024.

In April 2024, Meta announced an expansion to more countries in a blog post.

The company stated: “We’re rolling out Meta AI in English in more than a dozen countries outside of the US.

“Now, people will have access to Meta AI in Australia, Canada, Ghana, Jamaica, Malawi, New Zealand, Nigeria, Pakistan, Singapore, South Africa, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe — and we’re just getting started.”

October 9, 2024, Meta announced a significant expansion of Meta AI to 21 new markets in a press release.

It read: “We’re sharing our plan to open up access to Meta AI in more countries and languages throughout the rest of the year.

“We’ll be rolling out Meta AI to 21 new locales around the world, starting today with the United Kingdom, Brazil and more countries in Latin America and Asia.

“Rolling out today: Brazil, Bolivia, Guatemala, Paraguay, Philippines, and the United Kingdom — plus support for Tagalog.

“Coming soon: Algeria, Egypt, Indonesia, Iraq, Jordan, Libya, Malaysia, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Thailand, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, Vietnam and Yemen — plus support for Arabic, Indonesian, Thai and Vietnamese.”

By the end of this rollout, the company stated that Meta AI would be available in 43 countries and support a dozen languages.

The company aims to make Meta AI the most used AI assistant in the world by the end of 2024, with almost 500 million monthly active users.

Features

Image generation

Meta AI’s imagine feature allows users to create AI-generated images based on text prompts.

This capability has been expanded across Facebook and Instagram, enabling users to generate images for their feeds, stories and profile pictures.

AI-Generated content in feeds

Meta is testing a feature that displays AI-generated images in users’ Facebook and Instagram feeds.

These images are tailored to individual interests and trends, and can even include the user’s likeness in some cases.

Chatbot

Users can interact with Meta AI through a chatbot interface, accessible by tapping an icon within the apps.

The AI assistant can answer questions, generate content ideas and help bring concepts to life.

Search integration

Meta AI is integrated into the search functions of Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger.

It provides real-time information from across the web without requiring users to switch between apps.

Voice commands

Meta AI can provide answers to voice commands.

Users can ask it questions by sending voice prompts and the AI responds with text, media, or search results depending on the query

It also boasts a celebrity voice feature, which was announced at Connect 2024 in September, meaning the responses can sound like some of your favourite stars.

Available celebs include Dame Judi Dench, John Cena, Awkwafina, Keegan-Michael Key and Kristen Bell.

This feature is not currently available in the UK, as of October 26, 2024.

Privacy

Meta has stated that it will use publicly shared posts from UK Facebook and Instagram users to train its AI models.

However, the company assures that it will not utilise private messages or content from individuals under 18 for this purpose.

Turning off & opting out

While Meta has not provided a straightforward method to completely turn off Meta AI features, users do have some control over their data usage.

• Opt out of AI training: UK users can complete an objection form in their app settings to prevent Meta from using their Facebook and Instagram content for AI training.
• Privacy settings: Users can adjust their privacy settings to limit the visibility of their posts and information.
• Selective engagement: Users can choose not to interact with AI-generated content or use AI features within the apps.

It’s important to note that while users can opt out of having their posts used for AI training, they cannot restrict their interactions with AI tools from contributing to the refinement of Meta’s AI models.

As Meta continues to develop and integrate AI features into its platforms, the company has emphasised its commitment to transparency and user control.

That said, the extent of AI integration and its implications for user privacy remain topics of ongoing discussion and scrutiny.

Meta says that more than 400 million people are now using Meta AI – including 185 million weekly users.