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Meta Proves AI Hype Has Its Limits
Meta Proves AI Hype Has Its Limits
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Opinion Lex
Meta proves AI hype has its limits
Artificial intelligence is a multibillion-dollar project with no clear timeline for revenues
Meta, owner of Instagram and Facebook, says it will raise spending this year by up to $10bn to cover infrastructure costs ©
Reuters
8 HOURS AGO
Meta has drawn praise for the technological prowess of its generative AI projects.
Unlike some of its Silicon Valley peers, these are being developed in-house. This
month, the company announced its first designed chip for running AI models and
the latest version of its generative AI model, Llama 3.
Even with billions of dollars pouring in it is still not clear what sort of AI company
Meta is building. It is not selling the chips it designs or the generative AI model it
builds, which is open source. Revenue still comes from the company’s digital
advertising business with a small sideline in VR headsets.
Meta has been integrating generative AI into products such as Instagram and
Facebook in an attempt to boost engagement. But it has not provided details on
any increase in the time users spend staring at these apps on their phones. Third-
party estimates, including a study by non-profit Common Sense Media, suggest it
will need to boost engagement by hours each day to catch up to TikTok. A US ban
on the addictive video app could benefit Meta, which has a rival product in
Instagram Reels. But this potential outcome is years, and a legal fight, away.
Meta has funds to spend. In the last quarter, operating profit rose 91 per cent.
Buybacks and dividends are not in danger of being withdrawn. Still, it is difficult to
predict how much Meta plans to spend on AI. Zuckerberg attempted to quell
concerns by comparing the project to previous investments in Reels or Stories. But
these were far smaller. The scale of the company’s AI ambitions is only just starting
to emerge.
elaine.moore@ft.com