Threads is testing a Meta AI integration that works similarly to Grok in X. Users with public accounts can mention Meta AI in posts or replies to learn more. This feature is currently in beta testing in Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Argentina, and Singapore.
Meta told TechCrunch via email that the feature is designed to allow people to get real-time context on trends and breaking news, as well as receive recommendations, in conversations.
Users can refer to Meta AI and ask questions like, “Why are we talking about the World Cup this month?”, “Whose fashion is trending at the Met Gala?”, or “How are the Knicks doing in the playoffs?” Meta AI then processes the call and responds as a public response created by the @meta.ai account. Meta AI responds in the language used in the mentioned post.
By integrating Meta AI into the platform, Threads is positioned not only as a place to chat about news and trends, but also as a place to get information and recommendations without leaving the app.
This idea is similar to Grok’s role in X. X is full of user posts asking AI chatbots questions like “Is this real?” or “Please explain this to me.” Of course, giving an AI chatbot this level of visibility comes with risks, as we saw in X when Grok generated a post praising Hitler. Still, it’s worth noting that Meta AI has stronger protections than Grok, but it remains to be seen whether it’s prone to similar issues.
According to Meta, if you want to see fewer Meta AI replies in your feed, you can mute @meta.ai, use the “Not Interested” option on Meta AI posts, or hide Meta AI replies that appear directly on posts.
The company says it plans to learn from early feedback and continue to improve the experience before expanding it to more people.
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