Meta is planning to debut a standalone AI app during the next few months, according to CNBC sources, as well as test a paid subscription service for Meta AI that would offer advanced features and access to the company's latest LLMs.
The Meta AI chatbot originally launched in September 2023, and in April 2024, the company made it front and center in its apps by replacing the search feature for Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger with the AI chatbot.
Now Meta plans to offer its AI chatbot as a standalone app, in hopes that new and existing users interact more deeply with it.
Honestly, it's not a bad idea on Meta's part to decouple its AI from its social and messaging apps, as users tend to interact with AI differently than with social apps. For example, I typically open WhatsApp with a specific intention to read or send messages. Whereas I access OpenAI to do research or ask questions. Having a standalone Meta AI app would allow Meta to offer advanced research and project management features without interfering with the UI and native features of their social and messaging apps.
Shortly after this story about a standalone Meta AI app was published, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman wrote in an X post, “ok fine maybe we’ll do a social app.”
Additionally, rumors are circulating that Meta is considering breaking off Reels into a separate app from Instagram to better compete with TikTok, and ideally bring back much of what users loved about the old Instagram (before it tried to become a TikTok clone).
Instagram’s efforts to compete with TikTok are part of an initiative code-named Project Ray, which includes improving recommendations for users and distributing more three-minute-long videos, according to The Information sources.
A dedicated Reels app could create a more native TikTok-like, swipeable, video-focused experience for users who want to engage more with short-form video content. However let's be real — it's all about creating a new advertising platform for Meta.