Meta working on an AI search engine to avoid resorting to Google

Google is definitely the biggest player in the search engine segment. Its position has even led it to face antitrust lawsuits related to some of the company’s business practices. Other prominent companies, such as Meta, also rely on Google to incorporate Search into their own services. However, Meta is reportedly working on an AI search engine to reduce its dependence on Google.

Meta wants to reduce its dependence on Google with an AI search engine

Meta is not only involved in the social media segment. It is a leading VR company and has recently invested heavily in AI. Meta has already developed its own AI models, including Llama, and one that is capable of autonomously training other AI models. The company’s social platforms, such as Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp, integrate an AI-powered chatbot in certain regions.

Meta’s AI chatbot uses Google’s search engine to answer questions about recent events and other things. Reports indicate that the company plans to develop its own search engine to address this issue. As reported by The Information, a team has been working on a database for Meta’s AI assistant for the past eight months.

It will not be a Google competitor, but aimed at Meta AI assistant

The search engine under development does not aim to compete with Google. That is, we won’t see a “Meta Search” service, at least in the near future. Instead, Meta wants its AI chatbot to be less independent of third parties. This may also have economic interests behind it, since not relying on Google Search could probably save the company licensing fees in the long term.

Similar to other prominent players in the AI industry, Meta has been entering into licensing agreements with various prominent media outlets, like Reuters, for access to their content on AI services. So, the Meta AI assistant will be able to use Reuters’ content in its outputs. The company is currently working on other, similar deals.

While Meta doesn’t seem interested in launching a rival to Google Search, OpenAI could. ChatGPT’s parent company recently confirmed the development of the AI-powered SearchGPT service. However, it’s unclear if the company will face the same challenges as its competitors. Another AI-focused company, Perplexity, has already faced copyright lawsuits with its AI-powered search engine.