Meta's Edits app adds AI assistant and desktop version

Meta on Wednesday previewed upcoming additions to its video-editing app Edits at an invite-only creator event in L.A., showing off features like a new AI assistant and a desktop version of the previously mobile-only app. The company also announced other new tools will launch in the app today, such as a “Beta” tab for experiments and expanded audience insights. Edits first arrived last year as a direct competitor to ByteDance’s CapCut.

With the addition of the new and upcoming tools, Meta is looking to both retain and attract new users. The upcoming AI assistant will help creators analyze their insights and brainstorm ideas for their content. The assistant will use their Instagram data, like their views and video-retention insights, to help them see what’s working and why.

It will suggest video ideas based on performance and suggest making content with trending audio. By integrating an AI assistant directly into Edits, Meta is aiming to keep creators engaged on Instagram as it continues to compete with TikTok and YouTube for creators’ attention. By offering creators content ideas, Meta is encouraging more frequent posting, which could, in turn, boost user engagement.

Direct access to an AI assistant also gets rid of the need for creators to turn to outside tools like ChatGPT when brainstorming content ideas and understanding performance. Meta launched a similar AI assistant tool for creators on Facebook last week. YouTube and TikTok also offer tools to creators to help them brainstorm ideas.

For instance, YouTube Studio features an Inspiration tab that uses AI to help creators generate video ideas, while TikTok offers creators an AI assistant that can brainstorm ideas and uncover trends. The desktop version of Edits will give creators more precise control over the editing process as well as the ability to work on a larger screen, which can be helpful during more advanced editing workflows. The company says creators will be able to sync their workflows seamlessly between mobile and desktop devices.

The upcoming desktop version will also allow Edits to better compete with CapCut, which already offers a desktop version. Among the new features launching today is a Beta tab, which will provide creators with early access to experimental features that are still in development and allow them to provide Meta with feedback. The rollout of the Beta tab indicates that Meta wants to better compete with CapCut and accelerate feature development based on what creators actually want and will use.

Creators will also now be able to see more detailed metrics like their audience demographic breakdown and the time of day their audience is the most engaged. The new metrics join the app’s existing analytics, which include data such as how long viewers watch a video, how many followers were gained from a specific video, where users stop watching a certain video, and more. Creators can search specific topics within the app’s Inspiration feed to discover reels and templates other creators are making around a given trend or idea.