Meta Platforms, a leader in social media technology, has launched its advanced AI chatbot, Meta AI, on WhatsApp for select users in India. This move is part of a broader rollout aimed at enhancing user interaction with AI on the world’s most-used messaging platform.
Meta AI was first introduced during the Meta Connect 2023 event, with initial deployments in the United States. The expansion into India marks a significant step, offering Indian users a unique way to engage with AI technologies directly from their WhatsApp interface.
Meta AI operates on a sophisticated artificial intelligence model developed by Meta, utilizing the company’s latest Large Language Model (LLM) technology and Llama 2 model. The chatbot is designed to interact with users as a human would, providing a variety of services such as answering inquiries, giving recommendations, and generating images from text prompts. Users can activate Meta AI by simply tapping a new icon in their WhatsApp chat list, highlighted by a brightly colored ring, making it easily identifiable.
Currently, access to Meta AI on WhatsApp is limited to a select group of users in India. This approach allows Meta to gather feedback and refine the AI’s performance based on real-world interactions before a broader rollout. Users who are part of this initial phase were chosen based on undisclosed criteria to represent a diverse set of interaction needs and scenarios.
In addition to basic chat functionalities, Meta AI is integrated with Microsoft’s Bing to provide real-time web results, enhancing its ability to deliver comprehensive responses. The chatbot is not only a conversational agent but also includes capabilities for generating lifelike images from textual descriptions, similar to existing AI image generators.
Meta assures that user privacy and data security are priorities with the deployment of Meta AI. The AI is designed to interact within the confines of the conversations initiated by users, ensuring that personal data outside of these interactions is not accessed by the AI.
While Meta has not detailed all its future plans, the introduction of Meta AI to Indian users is just the beginning. The company has hinted at further innovations and more expansive AI functionalities across its global user base, depending on the success of this initial phase in India.
