Meta’s new ‘AI Mode’ on Facebook pulls from public info across its platforms

As Meta tries to catch up in the AI ​​race and increase engagement with its AI bot, the company announced On Monday, it will introduce new AI features to Facebook that aim to change the way users find information, create content and interact with the platform.

The headline update is “AI Mode,” a new way to search Facebook that uses Meta AI to surface answers from public posts on the platform, including Groups and Reels. Instead of scrolling through search results, users can ask a question in plain language and get a curated answer based on what people are actually discussing.

This follows Meta’s quiet launch last month of Forum, a Reddit-style app with its own AI ‘Ask’ tab, which allows users to ask questions and get answers from discussions happening in Facebook groups.

Both AI mode and the Forum’s Questions tab raise a familiar question: how reliable are the answers generated from public posts and group conversations? Because the AI ​​summarizes content from regular users rather than vetted sources, there is a real risk of outdated or misleading information slipping through, a concern that has already been raised about Google’s own AI mode on Reddit.

In addition to search, Facebook has also added editing tools that allow users to play with collage cutouts and transition effects for their video montages. Another new feature is the AI-powered photo presets, which allow users to change their appearance with different clothes, hairstyles and accessories.

For example, sports fans can wear their favorite team jerseys virtually by simply tapping the ‘AI Edit’ icon in Stories and choosing ‘Wear It’, or go straight to their profile photo and select ‘Redesign Profile Photo with AI’ and ‘Wardrobe’.

These updates add to a growing list of AI features Meta has released on Facebook in recent months. In February, the company introduced animated profile pictures that bring still photos to life by adding a wave or placing a virtual party hat on someone’s head. In March, Meta added an AI feature to Facebook Marketplace that automatically responds to messages from buyers on behalf of sellers.

Most recently, earlier this month, Facebook launched an AI assistant for creators that offers personalized suggestions — including the best times to post and summaries of what audiences are saying in the comments — based on a creator’s content and performance history.

Taken together, the flurry of releases points to a broader strategy: Meta wants Facebook’s AI tools to make the platform more robust and useful, while diversifying how it makes money. In addition to this feature rollout, the company recently launched global subscriptions for Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp – starting at $3.99 per month – that unlock additional features, with more AI-related subscription levels reportedly on the way.