Meta AI App built with Llama 4

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Glasses Integration & Regional Limitations

  • Several comments note the strong tie-in between the new app and Meta’s AR glasses, while EU buyers still have most AI features disabled, leaving them feeling misled.
  • Some users like the glasses and cite practical use cases (e.g., menu analysis, wine selection), but others find this depressing or dystopian and question the loss of human agency in everyday choices.
  • Critics also highlight the additional behavioral and location data such use gives Meta.

AI Creep Across Messenger, WhatsApp, Instagram

  • Many are frustrated that Meta keeps inserting AI and feed content into otherwise “utility” apps (Messenger, WhatsApp, Instagram), seeing this as a push to trap users in endless feeds where ad revenue lives.
  • Some speculate this cross-app blending also makes a future antitrust-mandated breakup harder.
  • The WhatsApp AI integration in particular is widely resented; users complain about unremovable buttons and unwanted AI search.

Product Strategy, Ecosystem, and User Demand

  • Commenters question who this dedicated Meta AI app is for: models aren’t seen as state-of-the-art and features appear similar to existing assistants.
  • Defenders argue the goal isn’t power users but mass-market reach via WhatsApp/Instagram/Facebook, where non-technical users may default to whatever AI is built in.
  • A rebrand of the existing “Meta View” glasses companion app into the Meta AI app is seen as a way to inherit installs and rankings rather than a clean product design choice.

Privacy, Data Collection & Brand Toxicity

  • Meta’s history (e.g., Cambridge Analytica) drives strong distrust; many say they won’t use any Meta AI product regardless of quality.
  • iOS permission scopes and WebView-based tracking are discussed; some see the data access list as alarming, others say it’s inherent to “personalized” services and largely incremental to data Meta already has.
  • Some accept the trade-off and think critics are overly moralistic; others insist using Meta products is objectively harmful.

Llama, “Open” Models, and Politics

  • Opinions on Llama diverge: some say excitement has dropped and Meta’s brand poisons community goodwill; others in self-hosting circles remain very appreciative.
  • There’s debate over how truly “open” Llama 4 is, and reference to Meta explicitly tuning models to be “less liberal,” which for some is a deal-breaker.