Earlier this week, Meta officially launched its standalone Meta AI app to the public, entering the arena alongside major competitors like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Copilot. Although the app is still in its early stages, Meta is already laying the groundwork for a subscription tier, along with personalized ads and recommendations.
During the Q1 2025 earnings call, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg shared his vision for the future of Meta AI. He mentioned plans for a “premium service for people who want to unlock more compute or additional functionality,” aligning with similar offerings from other AI apps that provide access to the latest models and priority features for paying users.
Zuckerberg also discussed the integration of “product recommendations or ads” within Meta AI. However, it’s unclear how this will work or if users will need to pay to remove these ads. Additionally, it’s uncertain what type of suggestions the AI will make. One thing is clear, though Zuckerberg’s focus seems to be more on using the chatbot for business purposes rather than pushing for innovation.
He mentioned that the chatbot already has a billion users, though it’s not clear if he’s referring to engagement across Meta’s platforms like Instagram, Facebook, or WhatsApp, or specifically with the standalone app. Zuckerberg also expressed plans to invest over $72 billion in AI, a significant sum. Whether this investment will pay off remains to be seen.
