Meta’s Forum Blends Reddit, Facebook, and Google AI Features

Meta has launched a new app called Forum for iPhones, designed to take the concept of Facebook Groups and enhance it with a dedicated AI chatbot. This move resembles an AI-driven revival of the Groups app that Facebook discontinued in 2017.

With Forum, users can engage directly within their Facebook groups, seeking and sharing advice without needing to turn to ChatGPT or add “Reddit” to their search queries. The app allows for seamless interaction, with optional assistance from Meta’s AI.

After logging in with my Facebook account, Forum automatically synced the groups I belong to and filled my feed with posts from those groups, along with recommendations for new ones, reminiscent of a Reddit feed but without the anonymity factor. I was surprised to discover some groups I had completely forgotten about, as groups aren’t prominently featured on Facebook. Besides the main feed, the app offers a compact view of my Facebook profile focused solely on group posts, the ability to explore new groups, and the option to post directly to specific groups.

The AI chatbot can be found under the “Ask” tab, where it provides AI-generated responses based on posts from various Facebook groups. This functionality is similar to how Google’s search results and AI summaries pull from licensed Reddit content and other online sources.

To test it out, I asked the AI a few questions about Magic: The Gathering. The chatbot referenced posts from some of the Magic groups I’m part of and offered solid advice, including suggestions for local groups in New Jersey. The results included links to the original posts, allowing me to dive deeper into the discussions surrounding them.

Meta’s communications manager confirmed the launch of Forum, stating that the company frequently tests new products publicly to gauge what users find engaging and beneficial across their apps.