Credit: Possessed Photography
The effectiveness of Meta’s latest AI product depends on whether it will bring in measurable campaign results, according to media agencies.
The output from the AI needs to be seen as being effective and not just producing uninspiring creative.
The global digital giant has released Meta AI, an assistant in an app users can speak to, with an improved Llama 4 for responses that feel more personal, relevant and more conversational.
The app integrates with other Meta AI features such as image generation and editing, which can now all be done via voice or text conversation.
Luke Creeley, media director at Yango, said Meta’s strategy of integrating AI across its vast ecosystem of platforms (Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and WhatsApp) gives a unique distribution advantage.
“From Yango’s perspective, with our strong focus on audience understanding and engagement, the potential to leverage this deep audience knowledge to deliver highly personalised messaging quickly and at scale is compelling,” Creeley said.
“The ability to tap into nuanced preferences and behaviours could translate into significant improvements in campaign performance and, ultimately, better business outcomes for our clients.”
Creeley suggests approaching Meta AI with “cautious optimism”.
“The strength of this platform will depend heavily on transparency and control,” he said.
“Will we maintain sufficient control over creative execution and brand messaging? There’s a risk of the platform generating generic or uninspiring copy and creative if not guided effectively.”
Creeley said the decision to fully embrace Meta AI will come down to one key metric: Results.
“We need to see clear evidence of improved campaign effectiveness,” he said.
“While the potential is definitely exciting, Meta needs to demonstrate that its AI delivers not just broad reach, but tangible and measurable impact for our clients.”
Jaime Nosworthy, CEO at The Pistol, said Meta's standalone AI app arrived at a pivotal moment in the race among digital platforms for AI dominance.
“With access to one of the world’s largest user bases across Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, Meta has a unique opportunity to rapidly scale adoption and embed AI into the daily lives of billions,” she said.
“The app’s promise of making AI more collaborative and socially integrated could democratise AI interaction in ways other platforms haven’t yet achieved, positioning Meta to unlock the collective power of human–machine collaboration at scale.”
Nosworthy said the launch makes “strategic sense” but Meta enters the AI space carrying the baggage of longstanding trust issues.
“From data privacy controversies to regulatory scrutiny, scepticism around Meta’s management of personal information is deeply entrenched,” she said.
“For many users, the idea of handing over even more personal data to Meta—especially in the context of AI—will be met with hesitation, if not outright resistance. This lack of trust could be a critical barrier to adoption, particularly as regulators sharpen their focus on AI safety and ethics.”
Nosworthy said it also raises a broader question about whether Meta can catch up in the AI race while grappling with ongoing challenges to its brand health.
“Competing with players like OpenAI, which entered the space with a mission-oriented ethos and a comparatively clean slate, will require more than just scale – it will require rebuilding trust and proving that innovation can co-exist with responsible stewardship,” she said.
“Meta’s AI app is undoubtedly a bold move, but its success may hinge less on technological capability and more on whether the company can convince the world it deserves a seat at the AI table.”
Adam Sharon-Zipser, managing director at Elephant Room, said Meta has already played a big role through its open-source Llama model, so launching its own AI assistant app feels like a smart, strategic move.
“It fits their playbook – Meta either builds or buys more surface area to keep users engaged. Right now, chat-style AI experiences are where the attention is, so it makes sense Meta would follow that sentiment,” he said.
“Compared to other players OpenAI and Anthropic, Meta is a bit behind in terms of polish and feature depth, especially when it comes to tools like data analysis or coding assistants that more advanced users are looking for. But that might not matter too much.”
Sharon-Zipser believes the app will work well as a day-to-day assistant, especially with the social context Meta already has on its users.
“Wrapping smart AI around that could make the experience feel genuinely useful. It also gives Meta another way to collect data and build on that flywheel,” he said.
“That said, the open-source approach probably has its limits, eventually the business will need to see a return. I’d expect this app to turn into another place to run ads, similar to what we’re seeing on Threads already.
Sharon-Zipser said the biggest challenge will be rebuilding trust because Meta still carries baggage when it comes to data handling and privacy.
“While other players are working hard to get consent and build opt-in systems, Meta tends to assume opt-in by default. I wouldn’t be surprised if people push back at least for a while,” he said.
“And on a practical level, having a different AI app from every other platform is just awkward. It doesn’t feel natural to bounce between apps with different interfaces and workflows. I’m not downloading a new version of Spotify for every music genre, for example, and the same goes for AI.”
Aishling Farrell, general manager at Orange Line, said Meta’s AI app stands out compared to others in the market.
“Its deep integration with the company’s existing ecosystem and its ability to use its vast amount of user data for personalisation will give it an edge,” she told AdNews.
Farrell said the app is likely to deliver more relevant interactions.
“The way in which these interactions are delivered are inherently more social in nature than other apps in the market encouraging continuous interaction,” she said.
“It’s not a space to ask a single question before departing the app but rather a discovery space more akin to a social media experience.
“While there are many positives, the heavy integration with existing Meta services, can also be seen as a weakness of the app for customers who are not heavily integrated within Meta platforms already.”
Farrell believes the app’s features are lagging behind others such as ChatGPT who have recently enhanced their shopping functionality.
“Privacy may also prevent some user adoption and enhance concerns for customers already wary of Meta’s data collection processes,” she said.
“Advertisers should closely monitor developments in this space, as Meta’s AI capabilities could provide deeper insights into user behaviour and preferences, enhancing Meta's targeting accuracy, at least for users who are already heavily invested in the Meta ecosystem.”
Shai Luft, co-founder at Bench Media, said Meta’s AI strategy is ramping up fast, and the launch of Meta AI signals that it wants to compete directly with OpenAI and Google.
“But this isn’t about releasing a smarter assistant, it’s about embedding AI into the daily rhythm of people’s lives,” he said.
“The app is just one piece of a much bigger puzzle. Meta is creating a network of access points across Instagram, WhatsApp, Facebook, and now Ray-Ban smart glasses, with the goal of making its AI ever-present.
Luft said the standalone app gives Meta a direct channel to users while also fueling data capture to improve Llama’s capabilities.
“While others are chasing intelligence, Meta is chasing scale and distribution,” he said.
“And in that sense, yes, it’s competitive. Not necessarily because it’s more advanced, but because it will be harder to avoid.”
Luft believes distribution, integration and hardware are the main strengths.
“Meta has the unique advantage of plugging AI into platforms people already use daily and with the standalone app, it can shape the experience more directly,” he said.
“The Ray-Ban smart glasses take this even further. With voice, visuals, and context all feeding into Llama, AI becomes ambient. Always there, always listening, always learning.”
Luft said the app creates new possibilities for marketers but questioned whether asking users to adopt an AI that’s woven across their devices, platforms and even their glasses may be a step too far for many.
“There’s also the challenge of launching a separate app,” he said.
“Getting people to download and regularly use yet another standalone tool in an already crowded AI marketplace won’t be easy. And as with any AI assistant, the real test will be whether it solves problems or just adds noise.
“Novelty wears off fast if the use cases aren’t compelling.”
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