Meta to launch generative AI assistant in the EU

PARIS, Mar 20 (AFP): Facebook and Instagram parent company Meta said Thursday it would launch its generative artificial intelligence assistant Meta AI in the European Union from "this week", more than a year after the service's US release.

"It's taken longer than we would have liked to get our AI technology into the hands of people in Europe as we continue to navigate its complex regulatory system - but we're glad we're finally here," the company said in a statement.

"Starting this week, Meta AI will begin rolling out across 41 European countries." Meta AI was first unveiled for the US in September 2023, then rolled out across all the group's applications in April 2024.

Although image generation is available in the US, in the EU the generative AI tool will craft text-only responses to users' questions. The company said the bot's inclusion in conversations could help "deep dive on topics of interest, or get help with a 'how-to' or a problem that needs solving" such as planning a trip.