## Meta AI Mulls Paid Tier and Advertising as Zuckerberg Eyes Revenue Streams
Meta is exploring premium subscriptions and advertising within its recently launched Meta AI app, following in the footsteps of competitors like OpenAI, Google, and Microsoft. During a Q1 2025 earnings call, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg outlined plans to offer a “premium service for people who want to unlock more compute or additional functionality” within the AI-powered application.
This potential monetization strategy comes as Meta ramps up its AI ambitions and investments. The company recently unveiled a standalone Meta AI app, designed to rival ChatGPT, allowing users to engage with the chatbot and generate images. This app expands the AI’s accessibility, which was previously limited to platforms like Facebook, Messenger, and WhatsApp. Meta reports that the AI chatbot boasts nearly 1 billion users.
The move towards a premium tier aligns with the current market landscape. OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Google’s Gemini, and Microsoft’s Copilot all offer paid subscriptions that grant users access to enhanced features and greater computational power.
The company’s commitment to AI is further underscored by its significant financial investment. Meta reported impressive earnings of $42 billion in recent months and is now allocating up to $72 billion to AI development, an increase from the previously announced $65 billion.
Beyond premium subscriptions, Zuckerberg also mentioned the possibility of integrating “product recommendations or ads” into the Meta AI experience. However, the timeline for both the paid tier and advertising remains uncertain. Zuckerberg indicated that the immediate focus will be on expanding the app’s user base and engagement for the next year before actively pursuing monetization strategies. He stated, “I expect that we’re going to be largely focused on scaling and deepening engagement for at least the next year before we’ll really be ready to start building out the business.”
This announcement signals a strategic shift for Meta as it aims to transform its popular AI tool into a sustainable and revenue-generating asset. Whether users will embrace the introduction of ads and a premium subscription model remains to be seen, but the future of Meta AI appears to be firmly rooted in both technological advancement and commercial opportunity.