Meta rolls out AI chatbot access to all Indian users
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INDIA, June 24: Meta is extending its Llama-3-powered AI chatbot, Meta AI, to all users in India following successful testing during the general elections. Despite its wide availability, Meta AI currently only supports English, with no other local languages included in its repertoire.
The company commenced testing Meta AI in India across WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger, and Facebook back in April, initially offering it to select users. Subsequently, Meta officially introduced the bot in over a dozen countries, excluding India, likely due to the concurrent general elections in the country.
Beyond its integration into the search bar across Meta’s suite of apps, the chatbot is also accessible through the meta.ai website.
Meta AI functions similarly to other chatbots like OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Google’s Gemini, and Anthropic’s Claude. It can assist with various tasks, including suggesting recipes, planning workouts, aiding in email composition, or summarizing text.
On Instagram, the chatbot can recommend Reels based on user search queries. Moreover, within the Facebook feed, users may encounter a Meta AI prompt, enabling them to ask questions related to posts. For instance, upon viewing a photo of the aurora borealis, users could inquire about the optimal locations and times to witness the northern lights.
Meta AI also possesses image-generation capabilities based on user prompts. However, in May, TechCrunch reported biases in the chatbot, such as consistently adding turbans to images of Indian men and generating stereotypical images of Indian houses.
While Meta has stated its ongoing efforts to refine its models, it remains uncertain if changes have been made in these areas.
Meta’s decision to introduce its chatbot to India’s vast user base, which includes 500 million WhatsApp users and numerous users across its other platforms, reflects its strategic expansion plans. On WhatsApp, users can engage with Meta AI individually or within group chats for activities like trip planning or movie selection.
Meta clarified that Meta AI lacks context regarding group conversations beyond the text users employ when interacting with the chatbot. However, the company refines its model based on users’ interactions with it.
Although Meta AI cannot be disabled within the app, users have the option to conduct searches without invoking the chatbot.
Meta’s rollout of its chatbot coincides with Google’s release of the Gemini app for Android users in India, featuring support for nine local languages.
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