Meta is accelerating its efforts to develop a new artificial intelligence-supported search engine in order to reduce its dependence on Alphabet and Microsoft’s search engines. In the project, which has been ongoing for approximately eight months, an independent information database is being created to be integrated into Meta’s own platforms. Thus, Facebook and Instagram users will now be able to access information without needing Google or Bing to search.
This search initiative by Meta aims to improve user experience by offering both real-time news summaries and local databases. While the company has recently used real-time data streams provided by Google and Microsoft as a temporary solution, it plans to create an independent structure using its own data sources in the long term. This effort reinforces Meta’s long-term strategy to integrate AI technology into its data sources and provide users with direct access to information.
Background of Meta’s search engine initiative
This strategic move by Meta is directly linked to the increasing popularity of artificial intelligence-based search engines. The company’s new search engine project will directly integrate with the Meta AI assistant and aim to eliminate dependence on third-party platforms such as Google or Bing. While Meta’s independent data collection process on the web has attracted attention in recent months, the company is also on its way to compete with Google Maps by creating digital maps and location data. The multi-year agreement with Reuters allows Meta to diversify its news content and provide more comprehensive information to the user.
This development also raises new questions about how Meta will shape competition in the information search industry. As Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg stated, in this period when artificial intelligence-supported search technologies are rapidly advancing, the company’s strategic goal is to offer a versatile information access platform that optimizes the user experience. With this move by Meta, users will now be able to find the information they are looking for without leaving Meta’s platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger.
Besides Meta, other tech giants such as OpenAI and Perplexity are also making similar initiatives. While the “SearchGPT” project developed by OpenAI intensifies the competition between artificial intelligence-supported search engines, Perplexity’s search engine also faces legal complaints from major media companies such as News Corp and The New York Times. This situation increases the sensitivity of media companies about how their content is used by artificial intelligence and once again reveals the importance of legal regulations.
Although it is not yet clear when Meta’s new search engine will be available to users, this move blurs the line between traditional search engines and artificial intelligence-based solutions. This intense competition between companies seems to change the way digital content and information are presented, leading to a major transformation in the way users access information.