Perplexity AI Meta's AI: Perplexity Shift
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Jan 20, 2026 Meta has made a dramatic shift from an ambitious Metaverse investment to a concentrated focus on AI. After spending $73 billion, the company faced significant layoffs and shutdowns of VR studios. The discussion dives into why the Metaverse failed to captivate consumers and examines the successes of AI-powered products like Ray-Ban smart glasses. The pivot to AI signifies a new frontier for Meta as it endeavors to streamline its resources and forge a profitable path in the rapidly evolving tech landscape.
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Metaverse Dream And Retreat
- Jaeden Schafer describes Meta's multi-year push into the metaverse and its recent pullback with Reality Labs layoffs.
- He frames the metaverse as Mark Zuckerberg's ambitious vision that never achieved mainstream traction.
Own VR Headset, Brief Use
- Jaeden recounts his personal experience buying a Meta VR headset and losing interest after a few sessions.
- He uses this to illustrate VR's novelty appeal and low long-term engagement for many users.
Design Flaws Hurt Early Adoption
- Early metaverse products suffered from poor design and lifeless avatars that failed to entice users.
- Jaeden argues that building openly doesn't work when consumer demand never materializes at scale.