• Meta Platforms has launched a new standalone app for its AI assistant.
• The app aims to enhance personalized user experiences across Meta's platforms.
• It utilizes Llama 4, Meta's advanced large language model, to improve AI capabilities.
• Meta is hosting its first AI developer event, LlamaCon, to showcase its AI advancements.
• Paid subscription services for advanced features are anticipated to commence soon.

On April 29, Meta Platforms launched a standalone app for its AI assistant, aiming to bolster usage outside its main platforms—Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger. This significant move highlights CEO Mark Zuckerberg's strategy to enhance the company's presence in the competitive AI market against major companies like OpenAI and Google, as reported by Reuters, Channel News Asia, and Dawn.

The application will deliver more personalized responses using context and user-specific information from Facebook and Instagram accounts. Powering this new app is Llama 4, Meta's latest large language model, designed to match the capabilities of competing models through enhanced reasoning and multilingual support Reuters, Channel News Asia, and Dawn.

At the launch, the company also announced its first AI developer event, LlamaCon, which showcases the Llama family of AI models. Additionally, Meta plans to begin testing a paid subscription service for advanced versions of the AI chatbot in the second quarter of this year, although meaningful revenue from this service is not expected until next year, according to Reuters, Channel News Asia, and Dawn.