Meta AI Rolls Out in Europe with Limited Features
Meta is finally bringing its AI chatbot to Europe, almost a year after pausing its launch in the region. The rollout, which starts this week, will see Meta AI available across WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger in 41 European countries and 21 overseas territories.
# A Limited Launch
However, the European version of Meta AI will be limited to text-based chat features for now. This means users in Europe will be able to use the AI assistant to brainstorm ideas, plan a trip, or answer specific questions using information from the web.
## Why the Delay?
The delay in the European launch was due to regulatory concerns. Ireland’s privacy watchdog had asked Meta to delay training on content posted by Facebook and Instagram users. This led to a pause in the rollout of Meta’s multimodal Llama AI model in the European Union.
# Current Capabilities
For now, European users will be able to use Meta AI to surface certain kinds of content on their Instagram feed. However, they won’t be able to use the tool to generate or edit images, or ask questions about a photo. The model also isn’t trained on EU user data.
## A Phased Rollout
According to Meta spokesperson Ellie Heatrick, “This launch follows almost a year of intensive engagement with various European regulators, and for now, we are only offering a text-only model in the region which wasn’t trained on first-party data from users in the EU.” Heatrick adds that Meta will continue to work collaboratively with regulators to ensure that people in Europe have access to and are properly served by Meta’s AI innovations.
# Future Plans
Meta isn’t giving up on its plans to bring more features to the European version of Meta AI. The company says it will work to “find parity with the US and expand our offering over time.” This could potentially include multimodal features that let users ask Meta AI about what they can see, as seen in Meta’s Ray-Bans smart glasses.
## Conclusion
The rollout of Meta AI in Europe is a significant step forward for the company’s AI ambitions. While the current features may be limited, it’s clear that Meta is committed to expanding its offering in the region. As the company continues to work with regulators, we can expect to see more innovative AI features become available to users in Europe.
_Stay tuned for further updates on Meta AI’s European rollout!_
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