What is the Meta AI tool? Can you turn it off? New feature rolls out on Facebook, Instagram

Meta unveiled its artificial intelligence tool, Meta AI, last week in more than a dozen countries across its various platforms, including Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp.

The tool created by Meta, parent company of Facebook, can be used to "get things done, learn, create and connect with the things that matter to you," according to a news release from the company April 18. Meta AI is free and can be used in feeds, chats, search and more without having to leave the app you're using. It also has an image generation tool that can quickly produce AI images and GIFs.

The feature is now available to use in the following countries: Australia, Canada, Ghana, Jamaica, Malawi, New Zealand, Nigeria, Pakistan, Singapore, South Africa, Uganda, the U.S., Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Here's what you should know about Meta AI.

What is Meta AI?

Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Messenger, Instagram and WhatsApp, rolled out the new, free AI feature available on those platforms to more than a dozen countries in English, including in the U.S.

According to a news release from the tech giant, Meta AI allows users to "access real-time information from across the web without having to bounce between apps."

Meta AI can be accessed in the Facebook feed and on Instagram search, and Meta is rolling out beta testing in the U.S. on WhatsApp to create images from text in real time using the AI's Imagine feature.

You can also access the tool on its own website, meta.ai.

Can you turn off Meta AI on Facebook or Instagram?

There is no option to disable the feature, Meta AI confirmed in a chat, but people can continue to search as they normally would to "engage with a variety of results."