“Meta’s Ambitious Plans to Challenge ChatGPT with a New Standalone AI App”
Meta, the tech giant, is reportedly strategizing to transform Meta AI into a solo application, a move seen as a challenge to OpenAI’s ChatGPT. OpenAI’s Sam Altman responded with a hint of sarcasm to these plans.
As per CNBC’s report, Meta is set to evolve Meta AI, currently an integrated tool on Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, into an independent app by the second quarter of this year.
This initiative forms part of CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s grand scheme to position Meta AI as the primary AI assistant, ready to rival competitors like ChatGPT, Google Gemini, and xAI’s Grok. “2022 will be the year when a highly intelligent and personalized AI assistant will reach over a billion people, and I anticipate Meta AI to be that pioneering AI assistant,” Zuckerberg predicted during a Q4 earnings call in January.
However, Meta’s journey to the top won’t be easy. Meta AI has not received the same warm reception as ChatGPT, which became the fastest-growing app soon after its release. The forced introduction of Meta AI as the default search bar on Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp was met with considerable user backlash. Complaints about the inability to turn it off, along with its forced integration in Meta’s apps, could potentially distort usage and engagement data. Meta CFO, Susan Li, claimed in the January earnings call that Meta AI has “over 700 million monthly actives,” though critics argue that this could be due to its forced usage.
In contrast, ChatGPT boasts over 300 million weekly active users. Altman, having read the CNBC story, expressed skepticism about Meta AI’s ambitious plans. He jokingly suggested, “Ok fine maybe we’ll do a social app,” while sharing the CNBC article.
Altman’s response was tinged with humor, as he also commented, “It would be amusing if Facebook tries to compete with us and we simply outsmart them.” His comment refers to the popular Uno card game and meme, which reflects the idea of outplaying an opponent at their game.
Zuckerberg envisions Meta AI as a key tool to boost engagement and monetize its apps. However, past attempts to engage users meaningfully have been less than successful. These include the failed celebrity AI avatars and the controversial AI characters, which were criticized for being ‘digital blackface’.
Moreover, Meta’s practice of forcibly collecting user data to train Meta AI has raised concerns about trust. However, given that Google employs similar strategies for Gemini, this may not be a significant deterrent for Meta users.
The ball is now in Zuckerberg’s court. Let’s see if he knows how to play his cards right in this high-stakes game of tech Uno.
