Mark Zuckerberg Embraces AI as the Future of Social Media

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is shifting gears from his metaverse ambitions to a fresh vision centered around an AI-driven social feed. During a recent earnings call, he expressed his conviction that AI will usher in the next major evolution in media formats, making feeds “more immersive and interactive.”

Zuckerberg noted the progression from text to photos and then to video, highlighting that we are on the brink of a surge in new media formats made possible by AI advancements. He pointed out that current apps often feel like mere algorithms recommending content, but that’s set to change. Meta’s future apps will feature AI that “understands” users, curating content they enjoy and generating personalized experiences.

Last year, he hinted at a social media landscape infused with AI, suggesting that Meta would enhance its recommendation system with a vast array of content, as AI simplifies content creation and remixing. This vision is already taking shape with the launch of the “Vibes” feed in the Meta AI app, which allows users to scroll through a selection of short, AI-generated videos.

Zuckerberg also teased a new feature that would enable users to create worlds or games from prompts and share them with friends, indicating that videos could become interactive. He envisioned a future where any video could be tapped into for a deeper, more engaging experience.

As the call continued, Zuckerberg didn’t mention specific goals for the metaverse but emphasized that the company’s investments in virtual reality (VR) and Horizon Worlds would complement these AI developments, making experiences accessible “through mobile.” Meta’s Reality Labs, which includes the metaverse division, reported a significant operating loss of $6.02 billion in the last quarter of 2025. Earlier this month, the company laid off over 1,000 employees in this division and closed three VR studios.

Despite these challenges, Meta reported a revenue of $59.9 billion for the final quarter of 2025, with a net income of $22.8 billion. Zuckerberg indicated plans to diversify revenue streams by monetizing the Meta AI chatbot, suggesting opportunities for “subscriptions and advertising,” aligning with reports that premium AI features may soon be behind a paywall.