Meta AI assistant update adds calendar briefings and recurring tasks
Meta says its AI chatbot can now use calendars, plan events and run recurring tasks as it competes with Gemini, ChatGPT and Claude.
By Hana Yoshida · Markets Reporter
2 min read
Meta is turning its chatbot into more of a work and planning tool with a Meta AI assistant update that can use a person’s calendar, prepare daily briefings and keep track of recurring tasks. The company said the changes are meant to push Meta AI beyond answering questions, making images and drafting text, putting it in closer competition with Gemini, ChatGPT and Claude.
Meta said the update is powered by its Muse Spark 1.1 model. In a company blog post, Meta described the release as its next step toward “personal superintelligence,” a phrase CEO Mark Zuckerberg has used to describe the direction he sees for AI.
What can Meta AI do now?
Meta says the updated assistant can read from a connected calendar to summarize the day ahead, help schedule events and suggest times that fit a user’s plans. It can also search for restaurants for an event, look through Facebook Marketplace for used furniture within a renovation budget and create briefings without requiring the user to ask again each time.
An AI assistant, in this sense, is a chatbot that can use personal context and perform tasks over time instead of only responding to one-off prompts. Meta says users can set up some tasks once, then have Meta AI continue handling them, such as weekly meal plans, calendar briefings or alerts about product restocks.
The update also adds more research and writing features. According to Meta, its assistant can gather information from across the web and turn it into a report, presentation or plan. Users can also steer the assistant while it is responding, a capability similar to one available in ChatGPT.
Why Meta is changing its AI chatbot
The move marks a shift in tone for Meta’s AI strategy. The Verge’s Alex Heath previously reported that Meta chief product officer Chris Cox told employees last year the company’s AI work would emphasize entertainment and connecting with friends rather than a strong focus on productivity, the area associated with OpenAI, Google and Anthropic.
Meta is now adding features that put its chatbot into the productivity category more directly. Calendar access, scheduled briefings and ongoing tasks make the assistant more useful for planning and personal organization, while web research and document output target work and school uses.
The company did not say in the announcement which select markets are included in the first rollout. Meta said the updated assistant is launching in the Meta AI app and on the web first, with availability planned for more countries and other platforms, including WhatsApp, in the coming weeks.
This story draws on original reporting from The Verge.