Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is determined to reduce his company’s dependence on Apple, marking a significant shift in Meta’s strategy and vision. In a recent interview with Bloomberg, Zuckerberg shared his new outlook while wakesurfing at his Lake Tahoe residence in California. This effort to revamp his public persona reflects his broader ambition to transform the $1.3 trillion social media giant he leads.
Meta’s New Direction
In recent years, Zuckerberg has focused on repositioning Meta from being solely a social media company to a leader in artificial intelligence (AI) and the metaverse. The name change from Facebook to Meta in 2021 was a clear signal of this shift. However, Zuckerberg has recently placed greater emphasis on AI development over the metaverse. Meta is now competing with industry giants like Alphabet’s Google and Microsoft-backed OpenAI to develop advanced AI models.
Open-Source AI Strategy
Meta’s AI strategy includes a bold move to open-source its most powerful AI technology, Llama. This approach allows developers to use Llama to create chatbots and train AI models for free. Zuckerberg believes that this open-source model will position Meta as a counterbalance to companies that lock customers into proprietary software.
Zuckerberg’s strategy is inspired by lessons from the mobile era, particularly Google’s success with its open-source Android software. He acknowledges the constraints and financial impacts of being dependent on mobile platforms like Apple’s iOS, which he claims stifles creativity. Zuckerberg’s goal is to control the next generation of technological platforms, including operating systems for virtual reality headsets, smart glasses, and AI assistants.
Challenges with Apple’s Platform
“There are all these analyses that we’ve done where we would be a lot more profitable, our business would be bigger, if we hadn’t gotten all these random taxes or rules that the mobile platforms have put on us,” Zuckerberg said. “But honestly, that’s not the big thing that bothered me. It was how it limited our creativity to build the best things that we could imagine. It’s somewhat soul-crushing to go build something that you think is going to be good and then just get told by Apple that you can’t ship it because they want to put us in a box because they view us as competitive.”
Investment in AI
Meta’s substantial investment in AI comes amid skepticism about the metaverse and concerns that current AI investments might not yield immediate returns. However, Zuckerberg sees this as a necessary risk, believing that being at the forefront of AI technology is crucial for the next 10 to 15 years.
In summary, Zuckerberg’s vision is clear: reducing Meta’s reliance on Apple and positioning the company as a leader in AI and next-generation technology platforms. This strategic shift is poised to shape the future of Meta and its role in the tech industry.
