Meta has begun rolling out a version of its generative AI assistant across Europe, integrating it into Facebook, Messenger, Instagram, and WhatsApp. However, this European edition lacks some key features available in other regions.
More than a year after its initial launch in the United States, Meta AI is finally arriving in the European Union, starting on March 20, 2025. The company announced that the assistant will gradually be introduced across all its platforms. However, due to regulatory challenges, this European version is more limited. “It took us longer than expected to bring our AI technology to Europe because we had to navigate a complex regulatory environment, but we are pleased to have finally achieved this milestone,” Meta stated in a press release.
A Delayed but Adapted Launch
Initially introduced in the U.S. in September 2023 and expanded globally in April 2024, Meta AI is a generative artificial intelligence tool similar to OpenAI’s ChatGPT. It can generate text, answer user queries, and even retrieve information from search engines. It is designed to help users explore current events, find tutorial guidance, and even plan trips.
Despite these capabilities, Meta had delayed launching the assistant in the EU due to concerns over how European authorities would interpret various regulations, including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the Digital Markets Act, and new AI-related laws. Last summer, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, along with Spotify CEO Daniel Ek, criticized Europe’s regulatory framework as being fragmented and inconsistently enforced, arguing that it stifled innovation and hindered developers.
A Europe-Specific Version
Following extensive discussions with regulators, Meta has now introduced a European version of its AI assistant with restricted functionality. Unlike in the U.S. and other non-European markets, Meta AI in Europe does not include image generation or photo-editing capabilities. Another significant difference is that the European version has not been trained using data from European users.
Meta plans to gradually expand the assistant’s availability across 41 European countries, including France and Germany, as well as in 21 overseas European territories. The rollout will take place over the coming weeks.
Like other Silicon Valley tech giants, Meta has prioritized AI development, with plans to invest between $60 billion and $65 billion this year. A large portion of this budget will be allocated to data centers, servers, and network infrastructure essential for advancing AI capabilities.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has expressed high expectations for the technology, stating, “I anticipate that an AI assistant will surpass one billion users this year, and I believe that will be Meta AI.” He emphasized that once a service reaches such a scale, it typically gains a lasting competitive edge.
Currently, Meta AI has 700 million monthly active users. Some reports suggest that in the U.S., the company is considering launching Meta AI as a standalone application, positioning it as a direct competitor to ChatGPT, Google’s Gemini, and Anthropic’s Claude.