Meta’s AI chatbot is coming to Europe, with limitations

Meta is bringing its AI chatbot to Europe, but some features are missing.

In a blog post Thursday, Meta explained that the “complex regulatory system” in Europe prevented it to launch Meta AI there, even though it’s been available in the U.S. since 2023.

This is now changing. Starting “this week” and “over the coming weeks,” Meta AI will start to roll out in 41 European countries. The feature is also launching in 21 other global territories.

Meta AI wil be free in Europe and will launch across Meta’s portfolio of social apps, including Facebook, Messenger, Instagram, and WhatsApp. However, in the beginning, Meta AI will only be available as an intelligent chat function, meaning you’ll be able to ask it questions about various topics, get solutions for problems, and plan trips and the like. You won’t, however, be able to use Meta AI to generate or edit images.

Meta AI will initially be available in six European languages: English, French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, and German.

To try it out, tap on the new, blue circle icon within Meta’s apps, or type @MetaAI with a prompt in a chat group.

Notably, according to a Meta spokesperson (via CNET), Meta AI wasn’t trained on “first-party data from users in the EU.”

Meta plans to expand its AI features in Europe, and “find parity” with the U.S. over time.

Meta is not the only company which had to delay the launch of AI features in Europe. Apple Intelligence, for example, is also late in Europe, even though it’s been available for months in the U.S.