Meta raised its capital-expenditure forecast, but it’s also posting strong enough revenue growth to support that spending.

America's tech giants aren't showing signs of slowing AI spending plans despite a stretch of economic uncertainty that has meant tough times for technology shares. After Meta Platforms (META) late Wednesday reported better-than-expected quarterly earnings,

Meta reported first-quarter sales of US$42.31 billion ($66.2 billion), beating Wall Street estimates of US$41.4 billion, with earnings per share of US$6.43 versus US$5.28 expected, according to LSEG data.

Meta is playing catch-up with the other AI chatbots, but these features could help it stand out in a crowded field.

The standalone app comes as Meta looks to boost the AI assistant's usage, apart from being available within the company's family of social platforms.