Meta Releases AI Powered Assistant Across Social Platforms. What It Could Mean For Your Business

You may never have to leave your favorite app to tap into the power of AI

Imagine a day when your smartphone not only connects you with friends but also seamlessly integrates into your daily life as a personal assistant, helping to plan your activities, inspire your creativity, helps you plan vacation and even educates you on the go. 

This may be closer to a reality with Meta’s new AI assistant, which promises to  revolutionize the way we interact with our favorite social media platforms. 

Whether you’re arranging a weekend getaway, looking for a burst of artistic inspiration, or simply seeking real-time answers, Meta promises to enhance your experience without ever needing to leave WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, or Messenger. 

Meta AI can now perform a variety of tasks directly within these apps. Users can get help with planning activities, such as finding restaurants or organizing travel, or even studying for exams. It’s designed to provide real-time assistance without needing to switch apps, making it highly convenient​ (Meta)​.

One of the standout features is the enhanced image generation capability, known as the “Imagine” feature, which now operates in real-time. As users type, the image evolves, allowing for dynamic and creative visual content creation, directly within the apps like WhatsApp, Instagram, and also on a new standalone website​ (Meta)​​.

Additionally, Meta is introducing character-based AI personalities within these platforms, offering users a variety of interactive experiences with AI characters that possess distinct backstories and traits. These AI characters can engage in more personalized interactions, enhancing user engagement.

This rollout not only advances Meta’s technological offerings but also positions it competitively in the AI space, making its platforms more versatile and integrated with cutting-edge AI functionalities. Meta AI is now available in multiple countries outside the US, expanding its global accessibility​.

What it could mean for your business

The potential impact of the Meta AI Assistant could change how businesses connect to their customers.

For example, the introduction of Meta AI Assistant could streamline how businesses deploy AI on their websites. Many businesses are increasingly using AI chatbots to automate customer service, lessening the need for live representatives. Currently, to deploy an AI customer service chatbot on a company website you would have to utilize third party software to connect an AI model, such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT, which could require some tech skills as well as subscription fees. Here’s how Meta AI might impact this process:

1. Direct Integration: If Meta provides a direct way to integrate its AI into websites, businesses could bypass third-party platforms, such as Voiceflow or Botpress. This would allow them to train and deploy AI assistants directly from Meta’s ecosystem, possibly reducing costs and simplifying the deployment process.
2. Customization and Training: Meta’s AI, built on the Llama 3 model, indicates significant advancements in natural language understanding and generation. If Meta allows businesses to customize and train these AIs according to their specific needs, it would offer a robust, tailored experience that could outperform standard chatbots currently available through third parties.
3. Unified Experience Across Platforms: Businesses heavily invested in Meta platforms (like Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp) could benefit from a seamless integration where the AI assistant used on these platforms is the same as the one on their websites. This would provide a consistent user experience across all customer access points.
4. Enhanced Capabilities: Given the sophisticated capabilities of Meta AI, such as real-time image generation and complex query handling, embedding this AI into websites could significantly enhance user interaction, providing rich media responses and detailed information directly in chat interactions.
5. Developer Tools and APIs: Should Meta offer comprehensive developer tools for its AI, businesses could have more control over how the AI is implemented on their websites or even their social media business accounts. These tools could offer customer service functionalities tailored to different industries, such as e-commerce, education and even real estate, making the AI more versatile and useful. And, easier and more cost efficient to implement.

If Meta moves in this direction it could potentially transform the AI deployment landscape by providing more direct and powerful tools for businesses to engage with customers, thereby enhancing both customer experience and business operations. However, Meta’s quality of support for an open source developer ecosystem and the kind of tools and resources they offer for developers as they build with Llama 3 is crucial for this possibility.