Meta has launched its AI assistant, Meta AI, in the European Union, nearly a year after delaying the rollout due to privacy concerns. Starting this week, users in 41 European countries and 21 overseas territories can access the chatbot across WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger. However, for now, Meta AI will only offer text-based chat functions.

Meta AI was first introduced in the U.S. in 2023, where it is right now performing advanced tasks like generating images and creating artistic selfies. However, these features won’t be available in Europe yet due to regulatory restrictions. The European version of Meta AI is limited to text-based functions like answering questions, helping users plan activities, or providing general information from the web.

The rollout also includes WhatsApp users in the U.K., where Meta AI was initially available on Facebook, Instagram, and Ray-Ban Meta glasses. This release is being gradually introduced across platforms.

European privacy regulators previously raised concerns about how Meta used user-generated content to train its AI models. Ireland’s Data Protection Commission (DPC), the lead privacy regulator for Meta in the EU, specifically requested Meta delay these plans. Regulators criticized Meta for making users actively opt-out instead of clearly opting-in.

Due to these concerns, Meta confirmed that the EU version of Meta AI hasn’t been trained on European users’ data. “The model powering these Meta AI features wasn’t trained on first-party data from users in the EU,” said Anna Dack, Meta’s spokesperson.

In the U.K., Meta initially faced similar privacy challenges from the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). However, after making minor adjustments to its data collection practices, Meta was allowed to launch Meta AI without explicit objections from regulators.

Meta AI will initially support six languages in Europe: English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, German, and Italian. It will also become available in group chats, starting with WhatsApp and expanding later to Messenger and Instagram Direct Messaging.

Meta intends to introduce additional AI features in Europe over time, eventually matching the features available in the U.S. The company expects ongoing discussions with regulators as it expands its offerings.

European regulators, including Ireland’s DPC, will continue closely monitoring the rollout.