Meta collaborates with news organizations to enhance AI-driven content.

Meta revealed on Friday plans to integrate content from leading news sources into its AI assistant, aiming to deliver real-time updates to users on Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. The company highlighted that Meta AI will provide breaking news, entertainment, and lifestyle content in response to user inquiries, sourcing material from partners like CNN, Fox News, Le Monde, People, and USA Today.

The new functionality is designed to offer users access to a broader range of perspectives and direct links to partner websites for deeper exploration of stories, according to Meta's blog post.

Meta emphasized that this initiative will make its AI assistant "more responsive, accurate, and balanced" by incorporating diverse viewpoints, noting that staying current with ongoing events remains a challenge for AI systems. Initial collaborations include mainstream and conservative-leaning outlets, such as The Daily Caller and The Washington Examiner. The company intends to expand partnerships and introduce additional features as competition among tech firms to improve AI capabilities intensifies.

Meta AI is now available across all Meta platforms, reaching billions of users worldwide.

The announcement aligns with a broader trend among AI companies, including OpenAIs ChatGPT and Googles Gemini, to incorporate live web content and news feeds. OpenAI has agreements with News Corp., Le Monde, The Washington Post, and Axel Springer, while The New York Times works with Amazon, and Google collaborates with The Associated Press. European startup Mistral has partnered with Agence France-Presse. Additionally, Perplexity recently launched a subscription service, Comet Plus, offering access to partnered media for $5 per month and committing 80% of revenue to news publishers.

Despite these collaborations, media companies continue to pursue legal action against AI firms. The New York Times, for instance, has sued OpenAI for allegedly using its content without permission or compensation. Recently, The New York Times and the Chicago Tribune joined The Wall Street Journal and The New York Post in lawsuits against Perplexity.

Meta's history with the news media has been complex. In 2024, the company reduced its focus on news content, closing the Facebook News tab in markets including the U.S., U.K., and France, and ending multi-million-dollar partnerships with major news organizations. Earlier this year, Meta also terminated its U.S. fact-checking program, which relied on third-party organizations, including AFP, to verify misinformation.

This AI-focused news strategy follows a boost in Meta's stock price after reports indicated the company is scaling back virtual reality projects to concentrate more on artificial intelligence.

Author: Logan Reeves