Meta is starting to roll out its AI-powered chatbot in Europe, nearly a year after pausing the launch in the region. This week, Meta AI will become available in 41 European countries and 21 overseas territories via WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger. For now, the functionality will be limited to text chats.
Meta AI launched in the US back in 2023, but its rollout in Europe was delayed due to privacy requirements from the Irish regulator. This involved a hold on training the model using content posted by Facebook and Instagram users. Additionally, the launch of the multimodal Llama AI model in the European Union was halted due to regulatory issues.
At this stage, Meta AI in Europe will function as a chatbot that helps generate ideas, plan trips, or answer specific questions using information from the internet. Users will be able to use Meta AI to search for certain types of content in their Instagram feed. However, there are currently no options for generating or editing images, nor for asking questions about photos. The model is not trained on data from EU users.
A Meta spokesperson notes that the launch became possible after nearly a year of active engagement with European regulators. “We will continue to work with regulators to ensure Europeans have access to Meta’s AI capabilities that are already available in other regions of the world,” the company states.
