Meta

Meta Platforms is the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger, making it one of the world's largest social media and communications conglomerates. Founded by Mark Zuckerberg, Meta reaches billions of users globally and generates the bulk of its revenue through digital advertising across its family of apps.

Artificial intelligence has become a central pillar of Meta's corporate strategy. After gaining recognition for a relatively open approach to AI model development, the company has signaled a significant strategic shift toward proprietary AI systems, bringing in Alexandr Wang to lead a new AI direction. Meta has simultaneously invested heavily in AI infrastructure, including a chip partnership with AMD targeting data center deployments, and built a large applied AI organization running into the thousands of engineers.

That transition has not been without friction. Internal reports describe dissatisfaction within Meta's applied AI workforce, and the company has acknowledged that its AI push is reshaping a significant share of its overall headcount. A high-profile acquisition of Manus, a Chinese-founded agentic AI startup, was unwound after regulatory pressure from Beijing—illustrating the geopolitical complexities Meta faces as it scales its AI ambitions globally.