Meta Shifts Focus to Enterprise Applications in the Metaverse
Meta, the social media giant previously known as Facebook, is seemingly shifting its focus away from individual-centric metaverse experiences and towards enterprise applications and artificial intelligence (AI). This apparent pivot is reflected in a recent blog post titled "Game Changers: 3 Predictions for Technological Transformation in 2024 & Beyond."
The first prediction highlights Meta's potential change in direction. It suggests that the metaverse will find its initial value in enterprise and educational settings, possibly indicating a strategic pivot towards increasing adoption of their Quest VR headset hardware by businesses.
Furthermore, the post seemingly acknowledges the decline in metaverse hype, calling it "dead" and contrasting it with the rising interest in AI. While acknowledging consumer interest in the metaverse, evidenced by the Quest app's performance on the App Store, Meta emphasizes business applications like collaborative computer-aided design tools. This suggests a potential reorientation of their metaverse strategy towards enterprise needs.
Meta's second prediction focuses on "portable artificial intelligence," specifically onboard large language models (LLMs). Unlike powerful systems like ChatGPT and Claude, which rely on cloud connectivity, onboard LLMs could operate directly on devices. This approach could allow Meta to integrate metaverse hardware with augmented reality (AR) to create informative heads-up displays for everyday use.
Finally, the third prediction emphasizes the importance of business messaging tools within the metaverse. "People expect to interact with brands and businesses they support in new, more personal ways," the blog post emphasizes. This could signal a potential future where brands interact with consumers within the metaverse through AI-powered tools and engaging experiences.
