tech

Jon Keegan4/29/25

Meta launches stand-alone AI app

If you want to use Meta AI today, you can find it tucked into a zillion weird places across all of Meta’s apps.

Like when you’re searching on Facebook, making a post in Instagram, writing a message in WhatsApp, or... talking with your Meta AI glasses.

But if you’re tired of looking everywhere for that sweet, sweet Meta AI (powered by Meta’s latest Llama 4 open-source model), now you can use a stand-alone app or access it on the web.

The Meta AI app is free to use and includes a “voice demo built with full-duplex speech technology” so you can test out a more conversational voice chat feature.

Meta is sort of achieving AI app feature parity with this release; you can generate images, search the web, and get recommendations for things. The app also remembers your history, which will definitely be useful when Meta eventually incorporates ads (how Meta makes 98% of its revenue).

But Meta does have something that OpenAI and other startups lack: a massive social graph of users and their friends. So, Meta is rolling out a “Discover” feed, “a place to share and explore how others are using AI. You can see the best prompts people are sharing, or remix them to make them your own.”

Introducing the Meta AI App: A New Way to Access Your AI Assistant | Meta

Introducing the Meta AI App: A New Way to Access Your AI Assistant | Meta

The Meta AI app is free to use and includes a “voice demo built with full-duplex speech technology” so you can test out a more conversational voice chat feature.

Meta is sort of achieving AI app feature parity with this release; you can generate images, search the web, and get recommendations for things. The app also remembers your history, which will definitely be useful when Meta eventually incorporates ads (how Meta makes 98% of its revenue).

But Meta does have something that OpenAI and other startups lack: a massive social graph of users and their friends. So, Meta is rolling out a “Discover” feed, “a place to share and explore how others are using AI. You can see the best prompts people are sharing, or remix them to make them your own.”

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Meta will begin using your AI chats to target you with ads

When Meta rolls out a new product, the company usually waits until that product has a billion users before turning on the ads.

In May, Meta announced that Meta AI has crossed that threshold, saying that more than 1 billion people are using the product every month. Today, Meta announced that it will begin using your conversations and messages with Meta AI to personalize your recommendations and the ads you see.

Meta currently monetizes your activity on Meta platforms using your interactions (likes, shares, attention) to tailor your exposure to Meta’s massive advertising machine. So if you asked Meta AI about travel tips for your upcoming vacation, you might now see more content and ads related to that place. But what if you’re asking Meta AI about how to deal with your depression?

In a blog post, the company shared:

“When people have conversations with Meta AI about topics such as their religious views, sexual orientation, political views, health, racial or ethnic origin, philosophical beliefs, or trade union membership, as always, we don’t use those topics to show them ads.”

But Meta has a spotty record when it comes to protecting sensitive personal information from leaking into its ad platform. Meta’s pixel-tracking technology has been found to pick up sensitive information regarding mental heath crises, financial information, and medical information.

Meta says you can manage the ads you see via controls in its privacy settings, but it’s unclear if users can opt out of the use of Meta AI conversations and interactions for ads and recommendations altogether.

The company said users will start to see notifications about the changes this month, which will go into effect on December 16, 2025.

Meta did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Improving Your Recommendations on Our Apps With AI at Meta

Improving Your Recommendations on Our Apps With AI at Meta

Meta currently monetizes your activity on Meta platforms using your interactions (likes, shares, attention) to tailor your exposure to Meta’s massive advertising machine. So if you asked Meta AI about travel tips for your upcoming vacation, you might now see more content and ads related to that place. But what if you’re asking Meta AI about how to deal with your depression?

In a blog post, the company shared:

“When people have conversations with Meta AI about topics such as their religious views, sexual orientation, political views, health, racial or ethnic origin, philosophical beliefs, or trade union membership, as always, we don’t use those topics to show them ads.”

But Meta has a spotty record when it comes to protecting sensitive personal information from leaking into its ad platform. Meta’s pixel-tracking technology has been found to pick up sensitive information regarding mental heath crises, financial information, and medical information.

Meta says you can manage the ads you see via controls in its privacy settings, but it’s unclear if users can opt out of the use of Meta AI conversations and interactions for ads and recommendations altogether.

The company said users will start to see notifications about the changes this month, which will go into effect on December 16, 2025.

Meta did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

tech

Rani Molla10/1/25

Tesla sales grow in some European countries for the first time this year

In September, Tesla sales rose in France and Denmark for the first time this year, while they also continued to grow in Norway and Spain, according to early European sales data reported by Reuters.

That’s a notable shift from the declines of previous months, as Tesla benefits from the rollout of its revamped Model Y and the introduction of numerous incentives across the continent, helping to stabilize its earlier sales slump.

Of course, Tesla’s European sales fluctuate dramatically month to month in Europe in part because the company doesn’t sell that many vehicles in Europe. Typically Tesla sells a few thousand vehicles per month per European country. In comparison, the automaker sells tens of thousands of cars in the US each month.

Tesla is up more than 2% in early trading, after having just capped off its best month since the election.

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Jon Keegan10/1/25

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