Meta AI chatbot now available to all Indian users after election testing

Following several months of testing during the general elections, Meta is now launching its Llama-3-powered AI chatbot to all users in India. Currently, the Meta AI supports only English, excluding local languages.

In April, Meta began testing its AI across WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger, and Facebook by releasing it to a select group of users. Shortly after, the company extended the chatbot to over a dozen countries, but not India, likely due to the elections at the time.

The chatbot is now accessible to all users via the search bar in Meta’s apps and through the meta.ai website. Meta AI functions similarly to other chatbots like OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Google’s Gemini, and Anthropic’s Claude, offering assistance with tasks such as suggesting recipes, planning workouts, drafting emails, or summarizing text.

On Instagram, the chatbot can recommend Reels based on search queries. On Facebook, users will see a Meta AI prompt on their feed, allowing them to ask questions related to posts. For instance, if there is a photo of the aurora borealis, users can inquire about the best locations and times to view the northern lights.

Meta is introducing this chatbot to India’s vast user base of 500 million WhatsApp users, along with hundreds of millions on its other platforms. On WhatsApp, users can chat with Meta AI individually or utilize the chatbot in group chats for tasks like planning trips or choosing a movie.

Meta stated that the AI functionality cannot be turned off or hidden within the app, but users have the option to perform searches without engaging the chatbot.