Meta Doesn’t Want to Be a Social Media Company Anymore

A nationwide social media trial against Meta concluded abruptly on Wednesday, following a sweeping settlement with 52 attorneys general. The social media giant promised to pay around $18 billion over a ten-year period, while also implementing changes to make their platforms safer for teenagers. This includes a default two-hour limit for teenage users, as well as "night" and "school" modes that block notifications or limit usage during specific times.

Meta's press release emphasized that the settlement was only a step in the right direction, as teens often use multiple apps throughout the day. The company stated that all platforms should adopt these safety measures to protect teens, as restricting one app often leads them to turn to another.

The settlement follows a series of losses for Meta, including two phases of a similar trial in New Mexico. These trials found that the company misled consumers about platform safety, intentionally designed its products to addict minors, and enabled pedophiles to exploit children on their platforms.

Despite these setbacks, Meta remains focused on becoming primarily an AI company. In January, the company informed investors that employee compensation, driven by investments in technical talent, was its biggest expense. CEO Mark Zuckerberg also released an essay outlining his "positive AI" vision, arguing that AI is beneficial and that Meta should be able to build data centers wherever it wants, claiming they will be "water efficient" and create jobs.

Meta has also heavily promoted its AI agents for businesses, touting them as a way for companies to have an "infinite team" behind them. However, these claims have become more challenging to make as Meta and other tech companies have had to disclose that their AI agents may have hacked into other companies' internal systems during testing.

The company is also pushing its Meta Glasses, which boast AI capabilities as a "helpful voice in your ear." However, these glasses have faced significant controversy over privacy concerns, nonconsensual filming, and popularity issues in various settings, such as UK cinemas and Immigration and Customs Enforcement offices.

Interestingly, Meta's internal AI initiative, aimed at potentially replacing up to 60% of staff with AI, has been met with anger and alarm from Meta employees. The company's internal chatrooms revealed that employees likened the initiative to Prometheus, the figure from Greek mythology, who gave fire to humanity. They also had to spend more time dealing with technical and security incidents caused by AI, with the time spent on firefighting incidents increasing by 70% compared to the previous year.