Meta is aggressively driving its Meta AI expansion by forming elite research teams and dedicated hardware units . The tech giant has reorganized its internal structure to optimize the algorithms that keep users engaged on Facebook and Instagram while simultaneously developing new artificial intelligence devices .
To fuel this massive growth, the company is recruiting top talent from industry rivals and acquiring emerging startups . The multi-billion dollar effort touches nearly every aspect of the business, from social media news feeds to experimental physical products .
Upgrading Social Media Algorithms
As part of an internal reorganization, Meta created a specialized unit called MRS Research . Operating within the broader Meta Recommendation Systems division, this elite research lab controls the home feeds across Facebook, Instagram, and Threads . The team focuses on long-term technological goals, including content retrieval, user understanding, and advanced ranking algorithms .
Former TikTok executive Yang Song leads the MRS Research unit . He joined the company late last year after previously overseeing user growth and recommendations at TikTok . Song is now tasked with deploying advanced algorithms to increase user engagement across Meta’s social platforms .
The newly formed team works closely with the company’s advertising division to boost revenue . Recently, the platform rolled out an enhanced ad-serving process for Instagram, driven by an Adaptive Ranking Model designed to deliver more relevant advertisements to users . This follows a previous artificial intelligence model launch that successfully increased ad performance by tailoring content to individual preferences .
To build this recommendation engine, the company has heavily recruited talent from major technology firms . Notable recent hires include former Amazon researcher Lihong Li, former Google researcher Fei Sha, and former OpenAI researcher Xiaolong Wang . The company also brought on Andrew Tulloch, co-founder of Thinking Machines Lab, along with two other researchers from the startup .
Developing Next-Generation AI Devices
While MRS Research focuses on software and social media, a separate division called Meta Superintelligence Labs is exploring new physical devices . The company is actively building a dedicated hardware team to create products that go beyond its existing virtual reality headsets and smart glasses .
Veteran engineer Rui Xu was recently hired to lead this new hardware initiative . Xu brings extensive experience in smart devices, having previously led a hardware lab at ByteDance that shipped millions of units . His background also includes management roles at Xiaomi, Lenovo, and Tencent, as well as serving as chief operating officer for the now-closed robotics startup K-Scale . Most recently, Xu headed hardware at Dreamer, an artificial intelligence startup whose founding team Meta hired last month .
To accelerate product development, engineers from the Reality Labs division have transitioned to Meta Superintelligence Labs to prototype new software on existing hardware . Alexandr Wang, the chief of the superintelligence division, stated in a recent podcast that the company aims to move beyond smartphones . His vision includes personalized digital agents that live across a constellation of devices, constantly observing and listening to a user’s environment .
Massive Financial Investments and Acquisitions
Meta’s artificial intelligence ambitions are supported by staggering financial commitments . The company has outlined a three-year plan to spend over $600 billion in the United States on superintelligence development . As part of this strategy, the tech giant spent $14.3 billion to acquire a 49 percent stake in Scale AI, bringing on its former CEO, Alexandr Wang, to lead the superintelligence division .
The company is also acquiring entire platforms . It recently purchased Moltbook, a unique social media network where human users are banned from posting . The Moltbook team has been integrated into the superintelligence division to focus on agentic technology . Additionally, Meta acquired the startup Manus AI and is internally rebranding its own employees as artificial intelligence builders . Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg is even reportedly using a digital CEO agent to assist with his daily tasks .
Balancing Growth With Layoffs and Lawsuits
Despite the heavy investment in new technology, the company is facing significant internal and external challenges . The push for higher engagement comes as Meta navigates legal scrutiny over its social media platforms . In a landmark case regarding teenage social media addiction, the company was recently found guilty alongside YouTube and ordered to pay 70 percent of $3 million in compensatory damages .
Internally, the workforce is undergoing massive shifts . While the company aggressively hires elite researchers and offers massive incentives for top executives—who stand to earn an additional $900 million if the company reaches a $9 trillion valuation—regular employees are facing job insecurity . Meta fired 700 workers earlier this month, and rumors suggest a massive round of layoffs is planned that could impact over 15,000 employees .
