Who needs the metaverse when you can explore AI-generated inspiration content instead?
Who needs the metaverse when you can explore AI-generated inspiration content instead?
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s metaverse aspirations appear to have shifted to a fresh concept: an AI-created social feed. In an earnings call on Wednesday, Zuckerberg reaffirmed his conviction that AI will evolve into the next major media format, rendering feeds “more immersive and interactive:”
We began with text, progressed to photographs as mobile devices became equipped with cameras, and then advanced to video once mobile connections became sufficiently rapid. Soon, we will witness a surge of new media formats that are more immersive and interactive, enabled solely by advancements in AI.
Zuckerberg mentioned that current apps “often feel like algorithms that suggest content.” However, he noted this will change, as Meta’s applications will ultimately welcome users with AI that “understands” them, can present content they enjoy, and “create excellent personalized content.”
Earlier this year, Zuckerberg similarly spoke about an AI-enhanced social network, asserting that Meta would “introduce another massive body of content” into its recommendation framework as AI simplifies the creation and remixing of content. Meta has initiated part of this initiative, having debuted a new “Vibes” feed in the Meta AI app permitting users to navigate a feed of brief, AI-generated videos.
In the meeting, Zuckerberg also suggested a novel format that will enable users to build a world or game using a prompt and subsequently share it with friends, noting that videos could also become interactive. “There’s clearly a version of the future where any video you encounter, you can tap on and dive into it and… engage with it in a more meaningful manner,” Zuckerberg stated.
As the call progressed, Zuckerberg chose not to discuss objectives for the metaverse, instead mentioning that the company’s commitments in virtual reality (VR) and Horizon Worlds will “complement these AI advancements,” aiding in delivering these experiences to users “via mobile.” Meta’s Reality Labs, which contains a metaverse division, recorded a $6.02 billion operating loss over the last quarter of 2025. Earlier this month, Meta let go of at least 1,000 employees in this division, while shutting downs three of its VR studios.
Meta announced revenue of $59.9 billion during the last quarter of 2025 and a net income of $22.8 billion. It appears the company anticipates further revenue generation by monetizing its Meta AI chatbot as Zuckerberg informed investors that there would be prospects for “subscriptions and advertising” with Meta AI, aligning with TechCrunch’s report indicating that the company intends to place premium AI functionalities behind a paywall.
