Meta has been making frequent moves recently, investing huge resources in the field of artificial intelligence. In order to further expand its business territory, Meta hired Shi Chongtang, former head of artificial intelligence at Salesforce, to form a new commercial AI team. The team will focus on providing AI tools for enterprise users of Meta’s applications (Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp) to help enterprises improve efficiency and optimize customer experience in the AI era. This move marks the official launch of Meta’s strategic layout in the commercial AI field, and its open source strategy also forms differentiated competition with other AI companies.
Meta recently announced that it has hired former Salesforce artificial intelligence head Shi Chongtang to form and lead a new commercial AI team. Shi Chongtang posted on LinkedIn on Tuesday that the team aims to create AI tools for companies using Meta’s applications (such as Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp) to help companies succeed in the AI era.
Meta confirmed Shi Chongtang’s appointment and said the new team will focus on delivering AI products to millions of advertisers and content creators. Shi Chongtang mentioned in the statement that the goal is to enable every enterprise to control the future through cutting-edge AI tools.
The specific content of the tools has not yet been announced, but it is speculated that these tools may include the function of AI-generated advertising or creative content. Meta has launched an AI-generated photo carousel on its platform, as well as an AI chatbot that mimics the style of content creators, a move that paves the way for further enterprise AI tool development.
John Hegeman, vice president and head of monetization at Meta, said in the statement: "Artificial intelligence offers enterprises tremendous potential to improve efficiency and optimize customer experience. Under Shi's leadership, the new team will be committed to realizing this vision."
Unlike Google or OpenAI, which make money through AI subscription services, Meta adopts an open source strategy and its main goal is to improve the existing application ecosystem through AI. This move will not only attract more advertisers, but may also improve user experience and bring higher advertising revenue to the platform.
However, Meta has not yet made it clear whether its AI tools will be paid or offered for free, and whether it will be used as a means to increase advertising spending remains to be seen.
Shi Chongtang served as the CEO of Salesforce Artificial Intelligence before joining Meta. Although he promoted the development of AI tools, the performance of Salesforce's AI business did not meet expectations. Earlier this year, the company's stock price fell sharply due to its poor AI strategy. This switch to Meta may provide Shi Chongtang with a broader AI development platform.
It is worth mentioning that Shi Chongtang published a book called "The Facebook Era" in 2009, analyzing the platform strategy of Meta (then Facebook). This joining marks a new round of cooperation between him and Meta.
Meta's move may change its existing business model, and its future development deserves attention. It still needs time to test how Shi Chongtang’s joining and Meta’s open source strategy will affect the entire AI industry. The success of Meta's commercial AI strategy ultimately depends on its ability to provide enterprises with truly valuable AI tools and services.