Meta Introduces 'AI Mode' on Facebook, Expanding AI Capabilities

Meta announced Monday it's rolling out new AI features on Facebook to change how 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 pulled from public posts across the platform, including Groups and Reels. Instead of scrolling through search results, users can ask a question in plain language and get a synthesized answer based on what people are actually discussing.

This follows Meta's quiet launch last month of Forum, a Reddit-style app that includes its own AI 'Ask' tab, letting users pose questions and get answers pulled from discussions happening across Facebook Groups. Both AI Mode and Forum's Ask tab raise a familiar question: how reliable are answers generated from public posts and group chatter? Because the AI is summarizing content from everyday users rather than vetted sources, there's a real risk of outdated or misleading information slipping through, a concern that's already been raised about Google's own AI Mode on Reddit.

Beyond search, Facebook also added editing tools that let users play around with collage cutouts and transition effects for their video montages. Another new feature is the AI-powered photo presets, allowing users to change up their look with different clothes, hairstyles, and accessories. Sports fans, for instance, can virtually wear their favorite team jerseys just by tapping the 'AI Edit' icon in Stories and choose 'Wear It,' or go directly to their profile picture and select 'Restyle profile picture with AI' and 'Wardrobe.' These updates add to a growing list of AI features Meta has shipped on Facebook in recent months.

In February, the company introduced animated profile pictures that bring still photos to life — 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 replies to buyer messages on sellers' behalf. 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.

The flurry of releases points to a broader strategy: Meta wants Facebook's AI tools to make the platform stickier and more useful, while also diversifying how it makes money. Alongside these feature rollouts, the company recently launched global subscription plans for Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp — starting at $3.99 a month — that unlock additional features, with more AI-related subscription tiers reportedly on the way. Why this matters: Meta's expansion of AI features on Facebook has significant implications for the platform's users, developers, and the broader tech industry.