Meta is poised to launch a standalone AI application during the second quarter of this year, according to sources familiar with the matter. This move signifies a significant leap in CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s plan to position Meta as the foremost leader in artificial intelligence by the close of 2024, outpacing competitors like OpenAI and Alphabet.
Meta is also considering a paid subscription model for its AI assistant, Meta AI, drawing inspiration from OpenAI’s tiered system for accessing more advanced versions of ChatGPT, the sources indicated. CNBC has learned that the separate Meta AI app will join Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp as one of the social media company’s standalone applications.
The Meta AI chatbot was initially introduced in September 2023 as a generative AI-powered digital assistant capable of generating responses and creating images based on user prompts within existing apps. Meta integrated Meta AI more centrally into its apps in April, replacing the search function on Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger with the chatbot. This has since become a primary method for Zuckerberg to showcase Meta’s generative AI technologies to billions of users.
“This is going to be the year when a highly intelligent and personalized AI assistant reaches more than 1 billion people, and I expect Meta AI to be that leading AI assistant,” Zuckerberg stated during the company’s fourth-quarter earnings call in January. Currently, Meta AI is accessible only through a website and Meta’s apps such as Facebook and WhatsApp. The development of a standalone app could potentially enable users to engage with the digital assistant more comprehensively.
In January, Zuckerberg publicly acknowledged a discussion thread suggesting the creation of a standalone mobile app for Meta AI, which would facilitate unified access across smartphones and other hardware platforms, improve conversational history organization, and enable deeper customization. Zuckerberg responded with a “100” emoji, indicating agreement.
Meta’s Chief Financial Officer, Susan Li, mentioned in January that while the Meta AI initiative is focused on “building a great consumer experience,” there are “pretty clear monetization opportunities here over time, including paid recommendations and including a premium offering.” The company declined to comment further.
Meta AI currently boasts roughly 700 million monthly active users, according to Li’s January report, an increase from 600 million in December. However, direct comparisons with services like ChatGPT are challenging, given Meta AI’s current integration within other apps. David Curry, data editor for Business of Apps, noted that the Meta AI standalone website generates less than 10 million views per month, significantly below its major competitors.
India is the largest market for Meta AI usage, Li mentioned in July. WhatsApp experiences the most Meta AI usage, followed by Facebook, which is generating strong engagement due to the feed integration that lets users ask Meta AI questions about content recommendations.
Meta’s plans to launch a standalone app follow initiatives by Google and xAI. Google recently released a dedicated iOS app for Gemini, following the Android app release in February 2024. Last week, Google removed iOS access of Gemini through the Google mobile app, directing users to download the new Gemini app. In January, xAI debuted an official Grok iOS app, expanding the digital assistant beyond X. Currently, users seeking Grok for Android must join a waitlist.
According to Sensor Tower’s State of Mobile 2025 report, ChatGPT remains the most popular AI-powered digital app based on app downloads. Zuckerberg has reportedly increased pressure on Meta’s generative AI teams to refine products, including Meta AI, with the goal of making it the most used chat app globally by the end of the year. Sources indicate that employees are working extended hours to keep pace in the AI race. Zuckerberg emphasized the importance of AI in a January memo to employees, stating that “Meta is working on building some of the most important technologies of the world. AI, glasses as the next computing platform and the future of social media.” He added, “This is going to be an intense year, and I want to make sure we have the best people on our teams.”
