Meta has launched an innovative app for iPhones called Forum, which essentially transports Facebook Groups to a standalone platform, complete with an AI chatbot. This concept mirrors a reimagined version of Facebook’s previous Groups app, which was discontinued back in 2017.
Instead of turning to ChatGPT or appending “Reddit” to a Google query, Forum users can now conveniently search for, view, and contribute advice within their Facebook groups. This interaction is further enhanced by Meta’s AI, which can offer optional assistance.
Upon signing in with my Facebook credentials, Forum seamlessly integrated the groups I had joined on Facebook, populating my feed with their latest posts. It also suggested new groups I might be interested in, reminiscent of a Reddit feed but without the anonymity Reddit provides.
Given that groups aren’t prominently featured on Facebook, I wasn’t surprised to discover some groups on my list that I had completely forgotten about. Besides browsing the feed, users can access a condensed version of their Facebook profile that highlights group posts, explore new groups, and make direct posts to specific ones.
The AI chatbot in Forum can be found under the “Ask” tab, where it provides AI-generated responses sourced from various Facebook group posts. This functionality is akin to Google’s method of generating search results and AI summaries by tapping into licensed Reddit content and other online resources.
Curious to test its capabilities, I posed several questions to the AI about Magic: The Gathering. The chatbot drew upon posts from a few Magic groups I belong to, delivering generally insightful advice and even suggesting groups in my New Jersey locality. The AI’s responses included links to the original posts, allowing users to dive into the full discussions surrounding those topics.
Meta communications manager Feryal Hemamda confirmed Forum’s launch in a statement to The Verge: “We test lots of new products publicly to see what people find interesting and useful to their experiences across our apps.”
