Meta Platforms Inc. is hosting its first generative artificial intelligence conference for developers, LlamaCon, where it has launched a standalone AI app with a social media component to compete with OpenAI’s ChatGPT. The Meta AI app, built with the company’s Llama 4 AI system, includes a ‘discover’ feed that lets users see how others are interacting with AI and has a voice mode for interacting with the AI.
The app allows users to link their Facebook and Instagram accounts, giving it a leg up on instantly personalizing its user experience with social media context. Forrester research director Mike Proulx noted that the app’s Discover feed is like a version of the original Facebook Feed but focused on AI use cases.
Key Features and Discussions
Meta has taken a different approach to AI than many of its rivals, releasing it for free as an open-source product. The company claims more than a billion people use its AI products each month. At LlamaCon, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg engaged in a technical discussion with Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella about the speed of AI development and its impact on their companies and the world.
“If this is going to lead to massive increases in productivity, that needs to be reflected in major increases in GDP,” Zuckerberg said, acknowledging the current hype around AI.
Zuckerberg and Nadella discussed the long-term implications of AI, with Nadella comparing its potential impact to that of electricity. “AI has the promise, but you now have to sort of really have it deliver the real change in productivity — and that requires software and also management change, right?” Nadella explained that it took 50 years for people to figure out how to change factory operations with electricity.
Zuckerberg responded, “Well, we’re all investing as if it’s not going to take 50 years, so I hope it doesn’t take 50 years.” This exchange highlights the ongoing conversation about AI’s potential to transform industries and economies.
Conclusion
Meta’s launch of its AI app and the discussions at LlamaCon underscore the company’s commitment to advancing AI technology and its applications. As AI continues to evolve, its impact on productivity and the economy will be closely watched.
