Meta is finally bringing its AI chatbot, Meta AI, to Europe after a delayed launch due to regulatory hurdles. Starting this week, users in 41 European countries and 21 overseas territories will be able to access Meta AI through WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger. However, the initial rollout will be limited to text-based chat features.

Meta AI first launched in the US in 2023, and the company had intended to expand its availability to Europe. However, those plans were put on hold after Ireland’s privacy watchdog raised concerns about Meta using content posted by Facebook and Instagram users to train the AI model. Additionally, the launch of Meta's multimodal Llama AI model was also halted in the European Union due to regulatory concerns.

For now, European users will be able to use Meta AI as a chatbot to help with tasks such as brainstorming ideas, planning trips, and answering questions using information from the web. The AI assistant can also be used to surface specific content on Instagram feeds. However, certain features, such as generating or editing images and asking questions about photos, will not be available initially.

According to Meta spokesperson Ellie Heatrick, the text-only model being offered in Europe has not been trained on first-party data from users in the EU. Meta emphasizes its commitment to working with European regulators to ensure that users in Europe have access to the full range of Meta’s AI innovations that are already available in other parts of the world.

Meta has already begun introducing some AI features to its Ray-Ban smart glasses in the EU, but these glasses do not yet support multimodal features that would allow users to ask Meta AI about what they are seeing. The company plans to continue working towards feature parity with the US version of Meta AI and expand its offerings in Europe over time.

Meta believes that AI assistants can provide significant value by enhancing social experiences and unlocking new possibilities. The company aims to make Meta AI accessible to everyone through the messaging apps they already use. Users can find Meta AI by looking for a new blue circle icon within the apps.

Meta AI can be used in group chats by typing “@MetaAI” followed by a prompt or question. This allows users to leverage the AI assistant for tasks such as planning group trips, brainstorming dinner ideas, or settling debates. Additionally, Meta AI can help users discover relevant content by generating results across various types of content, such as reels or posts from friends and followers.

By providing access to information from the web within the chat interface, Meta AI aims to streamline the process of finding information and provide added context and conversation. Meta’s long-term goal is to make AI products available to more people around the world and continue adding new intelligent functions and creative features.