Metaverse

Meta pushes deeper into robotics with key hardware move

Meta is expanding its robotics ambitions by appointing Li-Chen Miller, previously head of its smart glasses portfolio, as the first product manager for Reality Labs’ robotics division. Her transfer marks a significant shift in Meta’s hardware priorities following the launch of its latest augmented reality devices.

The company is reportedly developing a humanoid assistant known internally as Metabot within the same organisation that oversees its AR and VR platforms. Former Cruise executive Marc Whitten leads the robotics group, supported by veteran engineer Ning Li and renowned MIT roboticist Sangbae Kim.

Miller’s move emphasises Meta’s aim to merge its AI expertise with physical robotics. The new team collaborates with the firm’s Superintelligence Lab, which is building a ‘world model’ capable of powering dextrous motion and real-time reasoning.

Analysts see the strategy as Meta’s attempt to future-proof its ecosystem and diversify Reality Labs, which continues to post heavy losses. The company’s growing investment in humanoid design could bring home-use robots closer to reality, blending social AI with the firm’s long-term vision for the metaverse.

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Meta launches AI app in Europe with new Vibes video feed

Meta has launched its new AI app across Europe, featuring Vibes, an interactive feed dedicated to creating and sharing short AI-generated videos. The platform brings together media generation, remixing and collaboration tools designed to encourage creativity and social expression.

Vibes first debuted in the US, where Meta reported a tenfold rise in AI media creation since launch. European users can now use text prompts to generate, edit and animate videos, or remix existing clips by adding music, visuals and personalised styles.

The app also serves as a central hub for users’ Meta AI assistants and connected AI glasses. People can chat with the assistant, receive creative ideas, or enhance their photos and animations using advanced AI-powered editing tools integrated within the same experience.

Meta said the rollout marks a new stage in its effort to make AI-driven creativity more accessible. The company plans to expand the app’s capabilities further, promising additional features that combine entertainment, collaboration and real-time content generation.

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Zuckerberg’s billion-dollar AI buyout blocked by Aussie innovator

Andrew Tulloch, an Australian AI engineer raised in Perth, has reportedly rejected a US$1 billion (A$1.55 billion) compensation package from Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta.

Tulloch, a University of Sydney mathematics graduate with a near-perfect ATAR, co-founded the AI start-up Thinking Machines Lab earlier this year with former OpenAI CTO Mira Murati.

Thinking Machines Lab, focused on building safer, customisable multimodal AI systems, has already secured US$2 billion in seed funding and is now valued at $12 billion. Investors include major tech firms Nvidia, AMD and Cisco, and the Albanian government.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Meta attempted to acquire the company and later made direct offers to key employees. Tulloch declined the offer, which Meta dismissed as “inaccurate and ridiculous.”

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Meta unveils 5GW AI data centre plans

Meta has unveiled plans to build a 5GW data centre in Louisiana, part of a significant expansion of its AI infrastructure. CEO Mark Zuckerberg said the Hyperion complex will cover an area nearly the size of Manhattan, with the first 1.5GW phase expected online in 2026.

The company is also constructing a 1GW cluster named Prometheus in US, Ohio, which combines Meta-owned infrastructure with leased systems. Both projects will use a mix of renewable and natural gas power, underlining Meta’s strategy to ramp up compute capacity rapidly.

Zuckerberg stated Meta would invest hundreds of billions of dollars into superintelligence development, supported by elite talent recruited from major rivals. He added that the new data centres would offer the highest compute-per-researcher in the industry.

Amidst growing demand, Meta recently sought $29 billion in financing and secured 1GW of renewable power. Yet the expansion has raised environmental concerns, with one data centre in Georgia reportedly consuming 10% of a county’s water supply.

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Meta under pressure after small business loses thousands

A New Orleans bar owner lost $10,000 after cyber criminals hijacked her Facebook business account, highlighting the growing threat of online scams targeting small businesses. Despite efforts to recover the account, the company was locked out for weeks, disrupting sales.

The US-based scam involved a fake Meta support message that tricked the owner into giving hackers access to her page. Once inside, the attackers began running ads and draining funds from the business account linked to the platform.

Cyber fraud like this is increasingly common as small businesses rely more on social media to reach their customers. The incident has renewed calls for tech giants like Meta to implement stronger user protections and improve support for scam victims.

Meta says it has systems to detect and remove fraudulent activity, but did not respond directly to this case. Experts argue that current protections are insufficient, especially for small firms with fewer resources and little recourse after attacks.

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OpenAI leadership battles talent exodus

OpenAI is scrambling to retain its top researchers after Meta launched a bold recruitment drive. Chief Research Officer Mark Chen likened the situation to a break-in at home and reassured staff that leadership is actively addressing the issue.

Meta has reportedly offered signing bonuses of up to $100 million to entice senior OpenAI staff. Chen and CEO Sam Altman have responded by reviewing compensation packages and exploring creative retention incentives, assuring fairness in the process.

The recruitment push comes as Meta intensifies efforts in AI, investing heavily in its superintelligence lab and targeting experts from OpenAI, Google DeepMind, and Scale AI.

OpenAI has encouraged staff to resist pressure to make quick decisions, especially during its scheduled recharge week, emphasising the importance of the broader mission over short-term gains.

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Oakley Meta HSTN smart glasses unveiled

Meta and Oakley have revealed the Oakley Meta HSTN, a new AI-powered smart glasses model explicitly designed for athletes and fitness fans. The glasses combine Meta’s advanced AI with Oakley’s signature sporty design, offering features tailored for high-performance settings.

The device is ideal for workouts and outdoor use and is equipped with a 3K ultra-HD camera, open-ear speakers, and IPX4 water resistance.

On-device Meta AI provides real-time coaching, hands-free information and eight hours of active battery life, while a compact charging case adds up to 48 more hours.

The glasses are set for pre-order from 11 July, with a limited-edition gold-accent version priced at 499 dollars. Standard versions will follow later in the summer, with availability expanding beyond North America, Europe and Australia to India and the UAE by year-end.

Sports stars like Kylian Mbappé and Patrick Mahomes are helping introduce the glasses, representing Meta’s move to integrate smart tech into athletic gear. The product marks a shift from lifestyle-focused eyewear to functional devices supporting sports performance.

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German court allows Meta to use Facebook and Instagram data

A German court has ruled in favour of Meta, allowing the tech company to use data from Facebook and Instagram to train AI systems. A Cologne court ruled Meta had not breached the EU law and deemed its AI development a legitimate interest.

According to the court, Meta is permitted to process public user data without explicit consent. Judges argued that training AI systems could not be achieved by other equally effective and less intrusive methods.

They noted that Meta plans to use only publicly accessible data and had taken adequate steps to inform users via its mobile apps.

Despite the ruling, the North Rhine-Westphalia Consumer Advice Centre remains critical, raising concerns about legality and user privacy. Privacy group Noyb also challenged the decision, warning it could take further legal action, including a potential class-action lawsuit.

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Mark Zuckerberg confirms Llama’s soaring popularity

Meta’s open AI model family, Llama, has reached a significant milestone, surpassing 1 billion downloads, according to CEO Mark Zuckerberg. The announcement, made on Threads, highlights a rapid rise in adoption, with downloads increasing by 53% since December 2024. Llama powers Meta’s AI assistant across Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, forming a crucial part of the company’s expanding AI ecosystem.

Despite its success, Llama has not been without controversy. Meta faces a lawsuit alleging the model was trained on copyrighted material without permission, while regulatory concerns have stalled its rollout in some European markets. Additionally, emerging competitors, such as China’s DeepSeek R1, have challenged Llama’s technological edge, prompting Meta to intensify its AI research efforts.

Looking ahead, Meta plans to launch several new Llama models, including those with advanced reasoning and multimodal capabilities. Zuckerberg has hinted at ‘agentic’ features, suggesting the AI could soon perform tasks autonomously. More details are expected at LlamaCon, Meta’s first AI developer conference, set for 29 April.

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Meta AI widget now available for WhatsApp beta testers

WhatsApp is set to introduce a new Meta AI widget that will allow users to access its AI capabilities directly from their home screens.

The widget, now in beta testing, eliminates the need to open the app to interact with Meta’s AI, making it quicker and more convenient to use.

Users can ask questions, upload images, and even activate the AI’s voice mode directly from their device’s home screen.

This new feature is expected to make Meta AI even more accessible, helping to increase its popularity among WhatsApp users.

Powered by the company’s Llama language model, the AI is already capable of answering questions, generating images, and participating in both individual and group conversations.

The widget is adjustable, letting users resize it according to their preferences. While it’s currently only available to a limited group of users, WhatsApp plans to make it available to everyone in the coming months.

However, this addition comes as part of a wider rollout of new features within WhatsApp, including preset chat themes and shareable sticker packs.

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