Threads Is Testing a Meta AI Feature That Works Like Grok on X

[kevin1]

Threads is beta testing a Meta AI integration that allows users with public accounts to mention @meta.ai in a post or reply to get real-time context, recommendations, and answers to trend-related questions — directly within the conversation thread. The feature is currently live in Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Argentina, and Singapore, with Meta describing its purpose as helping people get context about breaking stories and trends without leaving the app. When mentioned, Meta AI processes the invocation and responds as a public reply from the @meta.ai account, matching the language of the original post. The use cases Meta is highlighting are explicitly social and conversational: asking why people are talking about the World Cup, whose Met Gala looks are trending, or how a sports team is performing in the playoffs — the kind of ambient curiosity questions that currently push users out of the app and into search.

The direct comparison to Grok on X is unavoidable and Meta is not shying away from it. The positioning is clear: Threads wants to be a place where information consumption and social conversation happen in the same space rather than requiring users to context-switch between platforms. Meta notes that Meta AI has stronger safeguards than Grok — a relevant qualification given Grok's documented history of generating harmful content when given similar public visibility. Users who find the integration intrusive can mute @meta.ai, use the "Not interested" option, or hide replies that appear on their posts directly. Meta says it plans to incorporate early feedback before expanding the feature further, suggesting the current rollout is as much a stress test of moderation and user response as it is a product launch.

[etfs]

@meta.ai public reply model creating AI as social participant not just assistant is the structural shift worth watching

[etfs]

AI woven into feed rather than separate interface now