Meta Platforms is preparing to test a paid subscription service for its AI-enabled chatbot, Meta AI, a source familiar with the situation revealed to Reuters on Thursday. The move mirrors similar offerings from OpenAI and Microsoft for their advanced chatbot versions. The company anticipates the test to begin in the second quarter of this year, but substantial revenue from the subscription service isn’t expected until at least next year.
Launched in September 2023, Meta AI is a virtual assistant designed to use large language models for reasoning tasks. In January, CEO Mark Zuckerberg stated that the company intends to invest up to $65 billion this year to broaden its AI infrastructure.
Meta declined to comment when contacted by Reuters.
The initiative reflects Zuckerberg’s goal to strengthen Meta’s standing in the competitive AI landscape against rivals like Microsoft-backed OpenAI and Google. Meta is also creating a new division within its Reality Labs unit to develop AI-powered humanoid robots capable of performing physical tasks, as reported by Reuters earlier this month.
CNBC reported earlier on Thursday that the social media giant is planning to launch a standalone Meta AI app, joining Facebook and Instagram, also slated for the second quarter. Meta aims to become a leader in the AI field by the end of the year, competing directly with OpenAI and Alphabet, Google’s parent company.
Mark Zuckerberg.
Following the success of ChatGPT, large technology firms have been allocating tens of billions of dollars to develop AI infrastructure. For example, Microsoft announced in January its plans to invest approximately $80 billion in fiscal year 2025 to develop data centers. Amazon also indicated that its spending in 2025 would surpass its estimated $75 billion expenditure in 2024.
