Meta’s CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, has revealed that he remains committed to his pursuit of leadership in the fast-paced metaverse race.
In a recent interview with The Verge, which was uploaded on YouTube, Zuckerberg stated that the key to establishing a strong metaverse pedigree lies in the advancements of artificial intelligence (AI) in the coming months.
Providing more context, Zuckerberg explained that the virtual and augmented reality landscape is set to cross paths with AI in a significant way.
To achieve this goal, the Meta frontman mentioned that generative AI will become a standard feature on Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp in the coming months.
For now, the company will focus on launching digital avatars across its lineup of products.
Meta has made substantial investments in the 3D immersive world known as the Metaverse.
The company rebranded from Facebook Group to the Meta Group in October 2021. However, two years later, despite investing billions in their Metaverse strategy, the social media network has yet to reap substantial rewards.
Nevertheless, Zuckerberg remains steadfast in his commitment to this vision.
The tech CEO highlighted that AI will significantly enhance digital avatars. According to him, individuals can immerse themselves in the virtual reality (VR) space and communicate with a digital avatar of their AI.
This social dimension surrounding AI applications will empower businesses, artists, and individuals to possess AI assistants with whom they can interact, socialize, and engage in gaming experiences. Zuckerberg explained that this is the goal in the near term for the tech company.
Explaining his firm commitment to the Metaverse idea, Zuckerberg said:
“I think that a bunch of these things can help your interactions with people. I think that’s more our natural space.”
However, this wasn’t the sole focus of Zuckerberg’s hour-long interview. He also delved into Meta’s recently launched smart glasses, developed in collaboration with the renowned eyewear company Ray-Bans.
He explained that the decision to move forward stemmed from significant advancements in its picture and form quality, as well as generative AI.
These pivotal concepts seamlessly converged, paving the way for the smart glasses’ innovations. Users can now perform tasks using AI-powered smart glasses with a virtual assistant and companion available round the clock.
Moreso, Zuckerberg noted that smart glasses are potent forces for AI as a form factor as it can see and hear what the user experiences for a more subjective output.
Not Smooth Sailing
Artificial intelligence has become the darling bride of the tech ecosystem since its famous launch in November 2022.
Spearheaded by OpenAI’s ChatGPT, the AI landscape is now rife with new services, businesses, and products with a little human-level intelligence software.
However, Microsoft-funded OpenAI still leads the charge. The AI software giant recently announced its virtual AI chatbot can now scour the internet. This will allow the software to provide relevant, up-to-date, and authoritative information directly linked to cited sources.
Prior to this launch, all information shared by the ChatGPT software was limited to September 2021.
Despite the significant lead enjoyed by its closest competitor, Zuckerberg remains optimistic about Meta’s swift ascent in the field. According to him, Llama 2’s technology incorporation with Meta AI will provide the competitive edge they need to stay in the race.
Moreover, the technology stack is expected to play a pivotal role in reshaping how businesses operate in the coming months.
While there is an air of optimism around Meta’s headquarters, the company is grappling with financial challenges.
Meta’s profits plummeted to $5.7 billion, marking a 23% decline from its 2022 performance, where it locked in $7.4 billion.
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