Meta to use AI chats to power ads, starting December 16
Meta will start using users’ conversations with its AI assistant from December 16 to personalize ads and content across Facebook and Instagram. The data-driven update has no opt-out option, excluding the UK, EU and South Korea.
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Meta Platforms is preparing a major shift in how it monetizes artificial intelligence, announcing that from December 16, users’ conversations with its generative AI assistant will be fed into its vast advertising and content recommendation engine, Reuters reported.
The move means that chats with Meta AI, whether by voice or text, will join likes, follows and other activity to shape what users see across Facebook, Instagram and other apps. A casual exchange about hiking, for instance, could later translate into suggested hiking groups, trail updates from friends, or ads for outdoor gear.
Christy Harris, Meta’s privacy policy manager, called it a natural extension of the company’s personalization strategy, “People's interactions simply are going to be another piece of the input that will inform the personalization of feeds and ads.”
Meta clarified that discussions around sensitive topics such as religion, health, sexual orientation or political views will not be used for ad targeting. Users will be notified of the change starting October 7, but critically, those engaging with Meta AI will have no option to opt out.
The update will initially roll out globally, with exceptions in the UK, EU, and South Korea, where stricter privacy regimes apply.
The announcement underscores Meta’s aggressive push to position Meta AI, already boasting over 1 billion monthly active users, as a central driver of engagement and revenue. CEO Mark Zuckerberg has previously described personalization and voice-based interactions as the company’s biggest focus for 2025, calling Meta AI the “leading personal AI” in development.
Meta’s strategy contrasts with rivals Google and Amazon, who have monetized AI largely through enterprise and cloud-based services.
The move comes weeks after the company introduced its first pair of consumer-ready smart glasses with a built-in display at the annual Connect conference, signaling how AI-driven personalization will extend beyond apps into hardware.
