Thought Leadership
The social media company Meta is expanding its AI offering with a standalone application that is in direct competition with established services such as ChatGPT. After Meta AI has already been gradually integrated into the company’s WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook and Messenger products, the logical next step now follows with a dedicated app.
Data treasure as a competitive advantage
Meta’s AI strategy is based on a decisive advantage: years of user data collected from its social networks. Unlike competitors such as OpenAI or Anthropic, Meta can draw on a comprehensive understanding of its users – their preferences, social connections and interaction patterns are already known to the company.
The new AI app makes targeted use of information that users have already shared on meta platforms to provide more personalized answers. This function will initially be available in North America.
Personalization with a data protection question mark
Meta allows users to entrust the AI assistant with additional information, such as dietary habits or personal preferences. This data can be saved for future interactions. For the data-driven advertising company, this represents another source of valuable user insights – which inevitably raises questions about data protection.
Social component as a distinguishing feature
The Meta app also introduces a “Discover” feed in which users can share selected AI interactions with their social environment. The Group apparently hopes that this social component will generate viral trends and strengthen user loyalty.
With this strategy, Meta is attempting to maintain an independent position in the increasingly competitive market for AI assistants – and at the same time further consolidate its existing ecosystem.
