What is Meta AI?
Quick answer
Meta AI is the AI assistant Meta builds into WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook and Messenger, and offers in its own app and at meta.ai. The name also covers Meta's AI work more broadly, including the open-weight Llama models and its newer Muse models.
Last updated
Updated · By Robert Breen
Why it matters for a small business
Many people use Meta AI without choosing it, because it is already in the chat apps they use every day. In April 2026, Meta announced Muse Spark, a new model that now powers the Meta AI app and meta.ai, and in August it released Muse Glimmer, a smaller open-weight model. Developers can reach Meta's models through the Meta Model API. Meta's earlier open-weight family, Llama, is still available to download.
Who it suits: quick personal questions and drafting inside apps you already have open, and developers who want open models. It is a weaker fit for confidential business work. Meta announced that, from December 16, 2025, conversations with Meta AI are used to personalize the content and ads people see, with sensitive topics excluded from ads. There is no business plan with separate data terms like ChatGPT Business or Claude Team, so keep client and employee details out of it.
In a real lesson: Prompt Writing 101: Role, Context, Task, Format
Stepthrough has no Meta AI lesson. The skill that transfers is in Prompt Writing 101: a prompt with a Role, Context, Task and Format works in any assistant, including the one inside WhatsApp.
The lesson's habit of giving the assistant your own facts, rather than asking it to guess, matters even more with a general consumer assistant. Give it the details it needs and leave out anything private.
Try this lesson free or read the step-by-step guide.
Common confusions
Meta AI vs Llama
Meta AI is the assistant. Llama is a family of open-weight models Meta released for anyone to download and run.
Meta AI vs Muse
Muse Spark is the model behind the Meta AI app as of October 2026. Meta also launched a separate personal agent called Muse in the US in September 2026.
Tips
- Use Meta AI for quick, non-sensitive questions inside apps you already use.
- Don't paste client or employee details into consumer chat apps.
Related terms
More AI assistants terms
Where you use it: free lessons
- Prompt Writing 101: Role, Context, Task, Format (ChatGPT, 8 min)
Frequently asked questions
- Is Meta AI free?
- Yes. Meta AI is free inside WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook and Messenger, and in the Meta AI app, as of October 2026.
- Can I turn off Meta AI in WhatsApp?
- Meta AI is a separate chat you open, so you can simply not use it. Options to hide it vary by app and country, so check the app's own settings.
- Does Meta AI use my chats?
- Meta says conversations with Meta AI are used to personalize content and ads, from December 16, 2025, with sensitive topics excluded from ads. Treat it as a consumer tool.