Instagram has an AI assistant built into its search bar and direct messages. Users can ask it questions, request images, get help drafting messages, and receive real-time information. It launched in the US in September 2023 and expanded to over a dozen countries by 2024, though the EU rollout was delayed due to privacy regulations.

The assistant is powered by Meta's Llama large language models and was updated to Llama 3 in April 2024. Within Instagram specifically, it is accessible via the search bar ("Ask Meta AI anything") and within DMs. It can answer questions, summarize conversations, generate images on request, and browse the web for current information. Starting December 16, 2025, Meta began using conversations with the assistant — including those on Instagram — to inform ad targeting, with no opt-out for users outside the EU, UK, and South Korea.