News
Meta Debuts Stand-Alone AI Assistant App To Rival ChatGPT
The dedicated AI assistant app taps into user data from its platforms to offer more personalized responses than ChatGPT or Claude.
Meta is entering the AI assistant race with a stand-alone app that puts its generative AI tool — Meta AI — directly in users’ hands, independent of WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, or Messenger. The app was officially unveiled at the company’s recent LlamaCon event and is clearly positioned as a direct competitor to OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Anthropic’s Claude.
What sets Meta’s AI app apart? The tech giant is banking on its existing ecosystem. Unlike newer players in the space, Meta already has years of user data across its platforms—from what you like to who you interact with. The company says this contextual advantage allows the AI to deliver more relevant, personalized responses by “drawing on information you’ve already chosen to share on Meta products”.
For now, this deeper personalization is only available in the U.S. and Canada, but it offers a preview of how AI assistants might evolve. Users can even feed the app additional personal details — like dietary restrictions or travel preferences — which Meta AI can then remember to tailor future suggestions. This could mean fewer mismatched recommendations and more practical support in day-to-day interactions.
However, the rollout also raises the usual data privacy concerns. Meta has built its empire on targeted advertising, and its AI product is no exception. The assistant’s effectiveness hinges on how much data users allow it to access — and how Meta uses that data behind the scenes remains a crucial question.
Also Read: Top Free AI Chatbots Available In The Middle East
The app also includes a social twist. A new “Discover” feed lets users share how they’re interacting with the AI. In one example, someone asks the AI to describe them in emojis and then shares the result with friends. Sharing is optional, but the feed could amplify AI trends, from emoji summaries to stylized avatar transformations, echoing viral moments like the Barbie or Ghibli filters.
Still, not every feature may resonate. Meta’s decision to layer social sharing onto an AI assistant might feel unnecessary to some, especially as the market matures and users begin to seek more utility than novelty.
Whether the app becomes a serious rival to ChatGPT or just another experiment remains to be seen — but it’s clear Meta is determined to shape the future of personal AI with its own data-rich approach.
News
Lebanon Ministers Meet Visa Over National Digital Payment Platform
Finance and technology ministers say a comparative study and roadmap will follow before any decision on adopting a model.
Lebanon’s finance and technology ministers met representatives from Visa last week to discuss a proposed unified national digital payment platform for government services, according to a readout from the Ministry of Finance.
The meeting brought together Finance Minister Yassin Jaber, Minister of State for Technology and Artificial Intelligence Kamal Shehadeh, a Visa delegation, and experts from both ministries. Discussion focused on whether Lebanon could establish a single platform through which citizens and institutions would pay taxes, fees, fines and other official transactions electronically, using mobile phones and other digital channels.
The Visa delegation presented examples from countries that have adopted unified government payment platforms, including the United Arab Emirates, Singapore, Estonia and Jordan. According to the readout, the examples were presented as having increased collection rates and expanded financial inclusion.
Talks covered settlement mechanisms, direct transfer to the treasury account, financial reconciliation, risk management, cybersecurity, fees, and an operational model that would involve the private sector. The parties agreed to continue technical and institutional consultations, prepare a comparative study, and develop an implementation roadmap before any decision on adopting a model for Lebanon.
Jaber said the Ministry of Finance had already enabled citizens to pay using credit cards and e-wallets through transfer companies, but described the proposed platform as a further step. He framed the development of electronic payment and collection systems as a priority within the ministry’s modernization plan.
Also Read: Deezer Says AI Tracks Now Make Up 44% Of Uploads
Shehadeh outlined the citizen-facing concept as a single mobile application through which users could settle obligations to ministries, government institutions and other bodies.
“The idea, in short, is that any citizen downloads an application on their mobile phone, through which they can pay all service obligations for all ministries, government institutions, or those owned by the Lebanese state, and others as well, as the platform is not limited only to state institutions,” he said.
Shehadeh added that the platform would not displace banks and money transfer companies that currently provide collection services to the state, calling it complementary to their work.
Lebanon Ministers Meet Visa Over National Digital Payment Platform
AltoVolo Releases Sigma Footage & Sets Date For Demonstrator
Careem Launches Lebanon Aid Drive With WFP
United Arab Emirates To Quit OPEC After 59 Years
YouTube Tests Conversational AI Search Tool
Yango Ride Introduces In-Chat Trip Planning In ChatGPT
Deezer Says AI Tracks Now Make Up 44% Of Uploads
NVIDIA Puts GPT-5.5 Codex In Hands Of 10,000 Staff
United Arab Emirates To Quit OPEC After 59 Years
