Feb 27 (Reuters) - Meta Platforms ( META ) plans to test a paid subscription service for

its AI-enabled chatbot Meta AI, similar to those offered by OpenAI and Microsoft ( MSFT ) to

access advanced versions of their chatbots, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters on

Thursday.

The source said the test will begin in the second quarter this year, but they do not expect

the subscription service to earn meaningful revenue until next year at the earliest.

Launched in September 2023, Meta AI is a virtual assistant that uses large language models

to perform reasoning tasks.

Meta declined to comment when contacted by Reuters.

The move comes as Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg aims to bolster the company's position against

rivals Microsoft ( MSFT )-backed OpenAI and Google in the race to dominate the AI space.

Zuckerberg said in January that the company plans to spend as much as $65 billion this year

to expand its AI infrastructure.

Meta is also establishing a new division within its Reality Labs unit to develop AI-powered

humanoid robots that can assist with physical tasks, Reuters reported earlier this month.

The social media giant plans to debut a standalone Meta AI app to join Facebook and

Instagram during the second quarter, CNBC reported earlier on Thursday, citing people familiar

with the matter.

Big technology firms have been investing tens of billions of dollars to develop AI

infrastructure after the success of ChatGPT.

In January, Microsoft ( MSFT ) said it was planning to invest about $80 billion in fiscal 2025 to

develop data centers, while Amazon.com ( AMZN ) has said its 2025 spending would be higher than

the estimated $75 billion in 2024.