Meta AI is set to launch in several European nations, making its debut in the European Union (EU) approximately 18 months after its initial introduction. This development follows an eight-month period during which the Menlo Park tech company announced a delay in the deployment of its AI services in the area due to directives from the EU’s Data Protection Authority (DPA). As of now, Meta AI will be accessible across 41 countries in Europe, although some features remain disabled in this region.
In a recent announcement shared on their newsroom platform, Meta revealed that it has navigated through complex EU regulations and is moving forward with an extensive rollout of Meta AI. This expansion marks the company’s most significant initiative to date, aiming to introduce the chatbot to not only 41 EU nations but also 21 territories beyond Europe.
Users in Europe will have access to the Meta AI chatbot across popular platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger. While the company has indicated plans to include support for six European languages, specifics on which languages were not disclosed. It is important to note that certain functionalities available in other regions will not be present in Europe.
The AI-powered chatbot will be fully operational in terms of text-based features throughout Europe. Users can engage in text inquiries, perform real-time web searches, create content, and interact with Meta AI seamlessly. The chatbot can also participate in group chats and respond to inquiries. Furthermore, users will be able to retrieve content like videos and Reels by entering keywords.
Nevertheless, some capabilities will be limited; users will not have the option to generate or edit images with the tool, nor will they be able to ask the AI-related questions about images. Voice features are also unavailable to users in Europe. Additionally, Meta AI’s responses may not fully reflect the personal preferences and cultural contexts of various European countries, as the underlying AI model has not been trained on data from EU users.
Meta spokesperson Ellie Heatrick stated, “We will continue to work collaboratively with regulators so that people in Europe have access to and are properly served by Meta’s AI innovations that are already available to the rest of the world,” in comments reported by Technology News.
