💬 Chatbots and assistants
Meta AI
By Meta. Visit Meta AI
Desk research from the maker's own pages. Not yet tried by us. Checked 2026-10-24.
Meta AI is the chatbot inside Instagram, WhatsApp, Facebook, Messenger, the Meta AI app and Meta's glasses. Teens 13 and up can message it like a friend in their chats. Since early 2026 teens can no longer reach Meta's AI characters while Meta rebuilds them. Parents who use Meta's supervision tools can see the topics (not the words) their teen asked about in the past week, switch to a stricter content setting, and, in some countries, get alerts about suicide or self-harm talk.
Our take: If your teen is on Instagram or WhatsApp they already have it, so turn on supervision and the stricter setting; it is not a study tool and younger children should not have these apps.
| Ages it suits | 13+ |
|---|---|
| What its terms say about age | You cannot use Meta's AIs if you are under 13 (or a higher age your country requires). (terms) |
| Price | Free. Free inside Meta's apps (Oct 2026) |
| Works on | Web, iPhone and iPad, Android |
| Account | The child's own account |
| Ads | Yes |
| In-app purchases | None |
| The AI in it | Meta's large language models chat, answer questions and make images inside Meta's social and messaging apps. |
What's good
- Parents see weekly topics their teen asked about
- Stricter Limited Content setting available
- Self-harm alerts to supervising parents (US, UK, Australia, Canada)
- AI characters paused for teens
Watch for
- Chats used to personalize ads
- Sits inside DMs next to real friends
- Common Sense rates it unacceptable for teens
- Parent tools need Meta supervision set up
Data and privacy
Meta's AI terms say it uses your AI chats to personalize your experiences and ads and to improve AI at Meta, and that people or software may review conversations. Supervising parents see weekly topic lists, not chat text. Read the privacy policy.
Does it work?
Common Sense Media (Aug 2025) rated Meta AI an unacceptable risk for teens, saying its safety systems often missed clear signs of self-harm and suicide risk. Meta's later parent alerts and topic insights came after that review and have not been independently tested.
In the Big Index
- On the list Parental controls for 12 AI chatbots, step by step
- On the list 11 "kid-safe" AI chatbots and assistants, and what kid-safe really means for each
- The maker in the who's who: Meta
Alternatives to Meta AI
Desk researchFree, with paid extras
ChatGPT
OpenAI · ages 13-17 in the teen experience; adults
Most teens will meet it anyway, so link a parent account and turn on Study Mode; families wanting a tutor that never gives answers should look at a purpose-built one.
Desk researchFree, with paid extrasNo ads
Claude
Anthropic · ages 18+ (adults)
A tool for parents and adult students, not for children; families wanting a teen chatbot need one whose terms allow teens.
Desk researchPaidNo ads
Curio plush (Grem, Grok, Gabbo)
Curio Interactive · ages about 3-12
One of the more careful AI plush toys on paper, but it is still an open chatbot for small children; suits parents who will read transcripts, while families who want no AI conversations should skip it.
Desk researchPaidNo ads
DIY.org (ChatDino, game builder)
DIY (AstroSafe family) · ages about 8-18 (the maker says 8 to 18)
Suits kids 8 and up who want to make and share games with a parent watching the portal; skip if you want kids learning to code by hand.
Desk researchPaidNo ads
Echo Dot Kids (with Alexa+)
Amazon · ages 3-12
Fine for bedtime stories and quick questions if parents check and delete recordings; skip it if a microphone in the bedroom bothers you.
Desk researchPaid
Explore with Alexa
Amazon · ages young kids with an Amazon Kids profile
Fits families already on Echo and Prime who want voice-only curiosity chats; families wary of AI chat or always-on microphones should skip it.
Where these facts come from
- https://www.facebook.com/legal/ai-terms
- https://about.fb.com/news/2025/10/teen-ai-safety-approach/
- https://about.fb.com/news/2026/04/helping-parents-understand-conversations-their-teens-are-having-with-ai/
- https://about.fb.com/news/2026/07/keeping-parents-informed-teens-distress-conversations-meta-ai/
- https://institute.commonsensemedia.org/risk-assessments/meta-ai
Prices, terms and features change. Nobody paid to be listed, nothing here is an affiliate link, and Peabody never rates itself. Where we and the maker disagree, the maker's own pages are the ones to trust.