Meta’s Chief Financial Officer, Susan Li, highlighted India’s significance as the largest market for Meta AI usage during the company’s second-quarter earnings call. This milestone, achieved just a few months after the product’s launch in the country, underscores the rapid adoption and engagement levels among Indian users. The AI service has been used for billions of queries since its introduction.
Li emphasized that WhatsApp, with its substantial 500 million user base in India, has been a key driver of Meta AI’s success. She noted promising signs of retention and engagement on the platform, aligning with India’s leading position in Meta AI usage.
Meta AI, initially launched in the United States last year, is integrated across several Meta platforms, including Instagram, Facebook, Messenger, WhatsApp, and the web. The AI was upgraded in April with the new Llama 3 model and expanded to over a dozen countries. Although testing began in India concurrently, the service became widely available to all users only after the country’s general elections concluded in June.
The company encountered cultural challenges in adapting AI to the Indian market. Reports indicated that Meta AI-generated images frequently depicted Indian men wearing turbans. Additionally, the AI’s handling of religious jokes sparked controversy, prompting Meta to adjust its algorithms for more equitable treatment.
In July, Meta introduced support for multiple languages beyond English, including French, German, Hindi, Hindi-Romanized Script, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish. Meta AI is now accessible in 22 countries, with recent expansions into Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, and Mexico.
During the earnings call, CEO Mark Zuckerberg also discussed the increasing computational demands for future AI models. He mentioned that the computing power required to train the upcoming Llama 4 model would be nearly ten times greater than that used for Llama 3.
Beyond AI, Meta reported positive trends in its social networks. The company noted that Threads, a Twitter/X competitor, has approached 200 million users, up from 175 million last month. Additionally, Zuckerberg mentioned encouraging trends in Facebook usage among young adults in the U.S.
Featured Image courtesy of The Japan Times
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