I spoke to Meta AI and, yes, it can carry on a conversation

(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)

Face it, no AI is complete until it has a voice, and now Meta AI has one and is ready to engage with you on your favorite Meta platform, including WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger.

I had a chance to try Meta's new Llama-powered chatty capabilities at Meta Connect 2024, which is taking place September 24-26 at the iconic 1 Hacker Way Meta headquarters.

Admittedly, the conditions were suboptimal. Meta AI was on a phone out on the Meta Campus, where people milled about and helicopters buzzed overhead. A Meta employee told me the phone's mic was on, and Meta was listening, and I stood before it talking.

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"So I can just talk to it?" I asked.

Meta piped up, "Yes you can. I'm here to help. Just say what's on your mind, and I'll do my best to assist you. Go ahead."

Suddenly flummoxed, I couldn't think of a question, so I asked Meta AI if it knew where New York City is," and it immediately gave me a detailed answer.

As Meta AI talked, I interrupted and told it I was thinking of moving there, but I didn't know the best place.

"That's exciting," Meta AI responded and began outlining the city's five Burroughs. I interrupted again and told Meta AI I was considering Manhattan.

Without missing a beat, meta AI told them Manhattan features diversity.

Everything Meta AI said also appeared in text on the screen.

I asked Meta AI if it thought I could get a condo in Harlem for under $500,000. To my surprise, it said yes and gave me detailed examples.

At this point, there was a bit too much sound interference, and Meta AI did not hear me when I asked about a moving company or when I asked it to stop responding. It really seemed to enjoy going through Harlem condo opportunities.

By turning off the speaker for a second, we were able to regain control of Meta AI, which quickly gave me some moving company capabilities.

Even with that glitch at the end, this was an impressive little demo. Meta AI's speech capabilities are smart, understand context, and can pivot if you interrupt.

Meta AI's speech capabilities are rolling out now in the US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. It can chat, tell stories, and figure things out, like where to move and how to find a home within your price range.

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A 38-year industry veteran and award-winning journalist, Lance has covered technology since PCs were the size of suitcases and “on line” meant “waiting.” He’s a former Lifewire Editor-in-Chief, Mashable Editor-in-Chief, and, before that, Editor in Chief of PCMag.com and Senior Vice President of Content for Ziff Davis, Inc. He also wrote a popular, weekly tech column for Medium called The Upgrade.

Lance Ulanoff makes frequent appearances on national, international, and local news programs including Live with Kelly and Mark, the Today Show, Good Morning America, CNBC, CNN, and the BBC.