Meta's new AI Mode in search holds the potential for genuine utility, provided its accuracy significantly improves.
While artificial intelligence has become proficient at managing calendar entries, it has yet to master the more nuanced and critical task of answering the perennial question: "What should I do this weekend?" Meta's recently introduced AI Mode within its search functionality could emerge as a valuable resource, assuming it overcomes its current propensity for factual errors.
Integrated as a new option in the Facebook app's search bar, AI Mode is engineered to process complex queries, mirroring the capabilities seen in Google Search's AI Mode. However, Meta's iteration distinguishes itself by drawing information from public posts across its suite of applications, including Facebook Groups and Instagram Reels. This approach could prove particularly beneficial for users, especially given the active role local community groups and organizations play on Facebook for event communication in many areas.
Conversely, the concept of a "search grounded in stuff people post on Facebook" immediately raises concerns, evoking a sense of unease for many users. The platform's user base includes individuals whose posts might not always align with factual accuracy or widely accepted information. Although Meta positions this feature as a tool for trip planning and discovering recreational activities, the nature of its data pool suggests a potential for problematic results. Encouragingly, initial testing indicates that while its trip-planning capabilities are inconsistent, the AI has shown a commendable resistance to generating outright misinformation.
During testing, the AI did not produce misinformation regarding topics such as vaccine-autism links, the perpetrators of 9/11, or claims of rigged US elections. However, it did provide a questionable response when asked whether the January 6th Capitol rioters were "patriots." The AI's reply began with the curiously formal phrase, "Here is the essay you requested," followed by a rather dubious theoretical justification of the rioters' actions—reminiscent of content one might encounter from less discerning social media users. Subsequent attempts to delve deeper into this topic were met with an unhelpful "I can't help you with that," which was ultimately for the best.
Shifting to more practical applications, the tool was tested with a prompt directly from Meta's press release: "Summer escapes near me." The suggestions were derived from influencer-style Facebook posts and included an evidently AI-generated map of Puget Sound that incorrectly placed Snohomish in two disparate locations. Despite this, the core recommendations—such as Whidbey Island, Mount Rainier, and Cascade hikes—were generally solid, if somewhat predictable.
More specific requests, however, led to frustration. When asked for nearby activities, the AI suggested a community pool swim but erroneously noted it would be closed over the weekend. It cited a post and listed hours from the pool's Facebook page. Yet, a check of the source revealed no mention of weekend closure, the cited post appeared nonexistent, and the pool's official website confirmed Saturday operation.
In preparation for an upcoming family trip to downtown Minneapolis, the AI was queried for kid-friendly activities. The results presented an equally perplexing mix of genuinely good suggestions and outright inaccuracies. One useful recommendation was an indoor mini-golf venue previously missed in personal research. However, it also proposed a coffee shop with a turfed play area for children—a great idea, but located in Austin, Texas.
A subsequent run of the same query yielded some identical results, minus the Austin coffee shop, but added a new, promising suggestion: a barbecue restaurant featuring an impressive menu, pitcher cocktails, and a dedicated children's play area. While not precisely within the specified neighborhood, its proximity and comprehensive offerings made it a viable option. Ultimately, the AI proved helpful in vacation planning, though its journey to a useful answer included an unnecessary detour through Texas.
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