Meta just released the Meta AI app for iPhone and Android. Can it compete with ChatGPT and Grok? This morning, I tested it to find out…

The first thing I noticed is the login is really slow and clunky. It makes me pick a username — weird. And seriously Mark, you need to support Google sign-in!

Once I got it up and running, I put Meta AI through 3 tests with real world questions I want the answer to. Let’s get started!

Round 1: Find Me Some Headphones

I asked Meta to find me a great pair of headphones for Zoom. My cheap JVC’s are getting the job done, but the sound quality could be better. Let’s see how it does…

Meta gave a good response, with a range of products including a slick set from Bang and Olufsen. But the prices were really high — the cheapest option was $150.

I asked for some links to purchase, and Meta couldn’t do it. So, I’m back to Google. Not super helpful.

I’ll give this round a C.

Round 2: Research for a Startup

I recently saw an awesome startup that can automate scientific research using robotics. So, I got to wondering: how much do we spend on scientific research?

Let’s ask Meta…

Meta gave me a huge figure, $789 billion. But this figure is for all R&D spending in America.

That includes hiring software engineers to make Meta AI, for example. I asked specifically about scientific research in a laboratory.

Meta didn’t make that distinction, so the answer is useless. Meanwhile, I asked Grok this same question last night and it nailed it.

I’ll give this a C-.

Round 3: Planning a Trip

I have a trip to Wisconsin coming up next month. I’m looking forward to seeing my mom and some old friends!

But I’ll tell ya what I’m not looking forward to: the airport.

I wonder if Meta can give me some tips to get through that morass faster. Let’s give it a try…

Meta gave some good ideas, including one I wouldn’t have thought of: wearing easy to remove shoes.

Most of the tips were pretty obvious, but at least one was helpful. I’ll give this round an A-.

Wrap-Up

Overall, Meta’s new app gets a C+.

Zuck’s latest effort didn’t impress me. The iPhone apps for Grok, ChatGPT or Perplexity are all significantly better. They do a better job of understanding your query and citing sources.

Meta feels about a year behind the best in AI. If Zuck wants to keep his crown, he’s going to have to step it up.

Have a great weekend, everybody!

More on tech:

Using Grok 3 to Manage My Stock Portfolio

Testing Gemini’s New Models

ChatGPT’s New Shopping Tools: Better than Google?

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