Meta AI: Hallucinations and Non-Personalized Responses

Meta AI has been available since the end of April as a standalone app for Android, iOS, and the web. More than three months later, and despite the billions of dollars invested by the Menlo Park-based company, the app still doesn't offer an optimal experience. Responses are often incorrect (hallucinations) and not personalized (when users connect their Facebook and Instagram accounts). In the meantime, yet another internal restructuring is planned.

App inferior to competitors

Meta AI was initially accessible via WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger. This sparked discussions about privacy (use of data without explicit consent) and competition (forced addition of the chatbot to WhatsApp). Since the end of April, it has also been available on Android, iOS, and the web with the criticized Discover feed.

Bloomberg conducted an in-depth test more than three months after its launch and found that the quality was significantly lower than that of competitors. In the US and Canada, you can connect your Facebook and Instagram accounts via the Account Management Center to get personalized responses . For example, the Meta AI app can remember your hobbies, but not related conversations when you switch to other platforms. There's virtually no shared memory , unlike ChatGPT or Perplexity.

Bloomberg also noted the lack of personalization . Despite providing hobbies and home address, Meta AI provides generic responses. The chatbot also responds incorrectly, inventing news and information ( hallucinations ). A company spokesperson stated:

This is just the first of many steps toward creating AI tailored to user preferences and interests, and we will continue to make updates and improvements over time.

Reuters recently discovered that Meta allowed its chatbot to have romantic or sexual conversations with minors. Ultimately, the Meta AI app has more flaws than merits.

Meanwhile, according to sources at The Information, the Menlo Park-based company has scheduled its fourth AI team restructuring in the last six months. The new Superintelligence Labs will be divided into four groups: the TBD Lab, the product team (which includes Meta AI), the infrastructure team, and the Fundamental AI Research (FAIR) lab.