Meta AI will use its ‘memory’ to provide better recommendations

Meta is widely launching the ability for its AI chatbot to “remember” certain details about you, such as your dietary preferences or your interests, the company said in a blog post on Monday. It will then use your past conversations, in addition to details from Facebook and Instagram accounts, to provide more relevant recommendations.

Meta first started rolling out a memory feature for its AI chatbot last year, but now it will be available across Facebook, Messenger, and WhatsApp on iOS and Android in the US and Canada. Though you can tell Meta AI to remember certain things, like that you love traveling, it will also “pick up important details based on context.”

For example, if Meta AI provides you with a recipe that contains meat, and you respond that you’re vegan, the chatbot will adjust its future responses to account for your preference.

Along with these “memories,” Meta AI on Facebook, Messenger, and Instagram will deliver “a greater level of personalization” using information from your accounts on each platform, including your age, gender, and “interests based on your activity,” according to Meta’s support page.

As noted by Meta, if you ask its chatbot for something fun to do with family, Meta AI could use your home location listed in your Facebook profile, as well as recently-viewed reels showing live country performances, to recommend a local country music show. When asked whether you can disable personalization, Meta spokesperson Emil Vazquez said the company doesn’t “offer an opt-out for these features at this time,” adding that “we believe that the best experiences are personalized.”

Meta says its AI will only remember things in one-on-one conversations, not in group chats, and that you can delete its memories “at any time.” Chatbots like ChatGPT and Google Gemini already have a similar feature.

Update, January 27th: Added more information from Meta.