Meta is developing its own artificial intelligence-powered search engine, a move aimed at reducing its reliance on tech giants Google and Microsoft. The proposed system would integrate with Meta’s AI chatbot, delivering AI-generated summaries of current events and news.

Currently, Meta’s AI assistant, which is embedded within both Facebook and Instagram platforms, depends on Microsoft’s Bing and Google’s search to process queries, but this will reportedly change soon. The timing of this revelation is particularly noteworthy, as Alphabet, Google’s parent company, prepares to announce its quarterly financial results tomorrow.

Evidence of Meta’s AI search ambitions emerged several months ago when the company’s web crawler was spotted actively indexing internet content. This development appears to confirm the social media giant’s intentions to establish its own independent search infrastructure.

The Information adds that a dedicated team at Meta has spent approximately eight months developing a detailed information database to power its chatbot system. The company’s ambitious efforts extend beyond AI search, with parallel development of location-based services that could potentially rival Google Maps.

This initiative mirrors similar movements from Meta’s rivals in the tech industry. Bloomberg’s analysis last month highlighted Apple’s enhanced App Store search capabilities, suggesting the company possesses the necessary infrastructure to launch its own AI-powered alternative to Google’s search dominance.

Last week, Meta strengthened its content portfolio by securing a multi-year partnership with Reuters. This agreement grants Meta’s chatbot access to Reuters‘ extensive archive of news articles for response generation, marking another step toward search independence.