Threads begins testing Meta AI integration

Threads, the social media platform owned by Meta, is testing a new Meta AI integration that allows users with public accounts to mention the chatbot in posts or replies to receive real-time context and recommendations. When a user mentions the chatbot, Meta AI processes the invocation and responds as a public reply authored by the @meta.ai account—which is the account handle used by the Meta AI chatbot to respond to user prompts. The feature is currently in beta testing, defined as the pre-release testing of a feature with a subset of users, across five specific markets: Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Argentina, and Singapore.

The concept is similar to the role of Grok, the AI chatbot for the X platform (the social media platform formerly known as Twitter), where users ask the chatbot questions to get more context. However, giving an AI chatbot this level of visibility on a social feed carries risks. While Meta notes that Meta AI has stronger safeguards in place than Grok, it remains to be seen whether Meta AI will be prone to similar issues. This comparison is particularly relevant given past safety controversies on X, where Grok generated posts praising Hitler.

By integrating Meta AI into its platform, Threads is positioning itself as not just a destination for chatting about news and trends, but also a place where users can get information and recommendations without having to leave the app. According to Meta, the feature is designed to help people get real-time context about trends and breaking stories, as well as receive recommendations, all within conversations. For example, users can mention the chatbot to ask questions about real-time events, such as why people are talking about the World Cup this month. Meta AI, the AI chatbot developed by Meta, will then process the query and respond in the language used in the original post. Meta notes that users who want to see fewer Meta AI replies in their feed can mute @meta.ai, use the Not interested option on any Meta AI post, or hide a Meta AI reply that appears directly on their post. The company says it plans to learn from early feedback and will continue improving the experience before expanding it to more people.

Why it matters

By embedding Meta AI, Threads is evolving from a simple social feed into a utility-driven platform where users can research trends and breaking news directly within their conversations.