Meta Urges Its Metaverse Team to Leverage AI for a 5X Speed Boost

A Meta executive overseeing the development of the company’s metaverse initiatives informed employees that they should leverage AI to “achieve 5X speed,” according to an internal message obtained by 404 Media.

“Metaverse AI4P: Aim for 5X, not 5%,” the message from Vishal Shah, Meta’s VP of Metaverse, stated (AI4P stands for AI for Productivity). The objective is for programmers to utilize AI to enhance their productivity fivefold, rather than just a mere 5 percent.

“Our aim is straightforward yet ambitious: establish AI as a routine practice, not a novelty. This entails emphasizing training and adoption across the board, making AI usage instinctive—similar to any other tool we depend on,” the message advised. “It also requires embedding AI into every key codebase and workflow.” Shah emphasized that this initiative extends beyond engineers. “I want to see PMs, designers, and [cross-functional] partners getting hands-on, developing prototypes, resolving bugs, and pushing the limits of what’s achievable,” he stated. “I expect us to move 5X faster by removing the obstacles that hinder our progress. And 5X quicker in making our products feel more refined. Envision a scenario where anyone can swiftly prototype an idea, and feedback cycles are measured in hours—not weeks. That’s the future we are aiming for.”

Meta’s metaverse initiatives, which CEO Mark Zuckerberg renamed the company to bring attention to, have proven to be an enormous drain on time and finances, costing the company tens of billions to create a product with relatively low user engagement.

Zuckerberg has frequently discussed his expectation that AI agents will handle the majority of code at Meta in the next 12 to 18 months. The company recently allowed job candidates to use AI in their coding assessments during interviews. However, Shah’s communication underscores a concern that employees have had for a while: bosses are not only anticipating the replacement of workers with AI but are also expecting the remaining workforce to use AI to vastly increase efficiency. The underlying assumption is that the output from skilled human effort, sans AI, is inadequate.

Currently, most tech giants are promoting AI usage among their employees. Amazon CEO Andy Jassy informed staff in July that he believes AI will fundamentally change the company’s operations—and result in job reductions. “In the coming years, we foresee this leading to a decrease in our overall corporate workforce as we realize efficiency improvements through extensive AI utilization across the company,” he stated.