Meta Debuts AI Chatbot on Facebook and Instagram in the UK
Meta Launches AI Assistant in the UK
Meta, the parent company of popular social media platforms Facebook and Instagram, has rolled out its new artificial intelligence assistant in the United Kingdom. This launch coincides with the introduction of AI-powered sunglasses, which have been modeled by Mark Zuckerberg himself.
Availability of Meta’s AI Assistant
The new AI assistant is designed to generate text and images. It is now accessible to users in the UK and Brazil, after previously launching in other markets like the United States and Australia. The introduction of the assistant faced delays due to regulatory challenges and the need for testing in the UK. Currently, Meta’s AI services are not available in the European Union due to ongoing uncertainties in the regulatory landscape.
User Access and Features
Users in the UK can access the Meta AI chatbot within their Facebook and Instagram apps. To activate the assistant, they just need to click on an icon within the app. Additionally, those who purchase a pair of Ray-Ban Meta glasses, priced at £299, can utilize a voice assistant feature. At a recent event, Zuckerberg showcased these stylish glasses and announced that the AI assistant would respond to voice commands, albeit the celebrity voices of actors like Judi Dench and John Cena will not be available to UK users.
Meta explained that this rollout aims to assist users in answering questions and brainstorming content, making it easier for them to share their ideas with both their local networks and the global community.
Privacy Concerns and User Control
Despite the excitement surrounding the new AI products powered by the company’s Llama 3.2 AI model, some users have raised concerns about their data privacy. Various social media users have initiated efforts to prevent Meta from using their posts to train these AI tools. One notable campaign featured a viral post titled “Goodbye Meta AI!” which gained traction among celebrities like James McAvoy and Tom Brady. Unfortunately, this post did not offer any real privacy or copyright protections.
For UK users who want to restrict Meta’s access to their posts for AI training, they must complete an objection form available in the privacy settings of the app. However, it is important to note that users cannot prevent their interactions with the AI tools from contributing to the training and refinement of the Llama model.
New Developments in Meta’s AI Technology
In addition to the AI assistant and smart glasses, Meta has also been working on a new AI model called Movie Gen. This innovative model promises to create realistic video and audio clips based on user prompts—such as depicting a surfing koala. However, as of now, Movie Gen remains unavailable to the general public, similar to other AI models like OpenAI’s Sora.
With the landscape of AI evolving rapidly, Meta is positioning itself as a significant player in harnessing this technology. The company’s aim is to enhance user experience across its platforms while addressing the complexities of privacy and data usage. As users begin to interact with the Meta AI assistant, it will be interesting to see how the technology develops further and its impact on social media engagement.
