One year and a half after its initial launch, Meta AI, the generative AI digital assistant from Meta, is making its debut in Europe. This week marks the beginning of the rollout of its generative text capabilities across WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger in 41 European countries, alongside an additional 21 territories worldwide.
For the time being, European users will interact with Meta AI solely as a text chatbot. Notably, the advanced features for generating or editing images, which are available in regions like the United States, will not be accessible in Europe. Additionally, the AI will not be able to interpret the content of photographs. Nevertheless, this launch is a significant milestone, allowing users to explore the potential of AI technology. Meta AI will assist users by providing answers to questions sourced from the web, offering creative ideas, aiding in trip planning, and even curating specific content for users’ Instagram feeds.
Meta AI has not been trained with data from EU users
To bring its product to Europe, the tech giant has navigated the complex landscape of European regulations concerning security and privacy. Originally, Meta had intended to launch its AI agent in the region much earlier, but regulatory demands necessitated a more cautious approach.
Ellie Heatrick, a spokesperson for Meta, elaborated on the situation: “This launch comes after nearly a year of intense collaboration with various European regulators and, for now, we only offer a text-only model in the region that has not been trained with data from EU users. We will continue to collaborate with regulators so that European citizens have access to and can adequately benefit from Meta’s AI innovations, which are already available to the rest of the world.”
As Meta AI takes its first steps in Europe, the anticipation surrounding its future capabilities remains palpable, with users eager to see how this technology will evolve in compliance with local regulations.
