Meta Announces Third Era of Social Media Dominated by AI-Generated Content

Mark Zuckerberg is excited to add more AI content to all your social feeds

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is getting ready to dump even more AI-generated posts into your social feeds. During an earnings call on Wednesday, Zuckerberg said the company will "add yet another huge corpus of content" to its recommendations system as AI "makes it easier to create and remix" work that gets shared online. "Social media has gone through two eras so far," Zuckerberg said. "First was when all content was from friends, family, and accounts that you followed directly. The second was when we added all of the Creator content." Though Zuckerberg stops short of calling AI the third era of social media, it's clear that the technology will be heavily involved in what comes next. Zuckerberg said that recommendation systems that "deeply understand" AI-generated posts and "show you the right content" will become "increasingly valuable." The company has already begun embedding AI tools across its apps and is now experimenting with dedicated AI social apps, too. Meta CFO Susan Li said people generated over 20 billion images within the company's new Vibes app, which serves up a feed of AI-generated videos, similar to OpenAI's Sora. "I think that Vibes is an example of a new content type enabled by AI, and I think that there are more opportunities to build many more novel types of content ahead," Zuckerberg added. Meta reported revenue of $51.24 billion this quarter, up 26 percent year over year, but took a one-time $15.93 billion tax charge associated with President Donald Trump's Big Beautiful Bill.

Meta will add a 'huge corpus' of AI content into its recommendation system

It looks like Meta's Vibes feed is just the start of the company's pivot toward AI slop. In an earnings call, CEO Mark Zuckerberg said that "we're going to add yet another huge corpus of content" to Meta's recommendation system, via AI's ability to create and remix content -- so you're likely to see even more AI generated posts on Facebook and Instagram. "Social media has gone through two eras so far. First was when all content was from friends, family, and accounts that you followed directly. The second was when we added all the creator content," he said, seemingly suggesting that AI content will be the third era. Zuckerberg added that recommendation systems that "deeply" understand AI content are "increasingly valuable" since they can "help you achieve your goals." He then nodded to Vibes, calling it an example of a new type of content enabled by AI. Retention on the feed "is looking good so far, and its usage keeps growing quickly week over week," he proclaimed. Furthermore, there are more opportunities to build "many more novel types of content aheads, as our new models become ready," Zuckerberg added. To put some numbers to Vibes takeup, Meta CFO Susan Li said that users have generated over 20 billion images in the feed to date. Meta has already introduced a number of AI features across its social media platforms. Those include in-app photo and video editing via text prompts directly in Instagram Stories, AI chatbots across WhatsApp, Messenger, and Instagram, and a standalone Meta AI app that includes an AI assistant and discovery feed.

Zuckerberg declares the third era of social media will be run by AI

During Meta's Q3 2025 earnings call, CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced plans to integrate more AI-generated content into user feeds on Facebook and Instagram. The initiative aims to enhance engagement by prioritizing synthetic videos, images, and text through the new Vibes app. Zuckerberg described this development as the "third era" of social media. The first era centered on content shared by friends and family, establishing personal connections. The second era shifted focus to content from creators, expanding professional and entertainment offerings. In this third era, AI-generated content takes precedence, with algorithms designed to promote synthetic material deemed more engaging to users. Meta introduced the Vibes app to facilitate this change. The app enables users to create AI-generated content directly, including videos, images, and text. Once produced, this content integrates seamlessly across Meta's platforms, such as Facebook and Instagram, allowing for broader sharing and visibility in feeds. The company reported a 26% revenue increase for the quarter, reaching $51.24 billion. This growth stems in part from AI enhancements in its core advertising business. AI tools optimize ad placements and targeting, contributing to higher efficiency and returns for advertisers on the platforms. Tech founders and executives have responded with mixed reactions to Meta's strategy. Some have criticized the heavy emphasis on AI-generated content, questioning its impact on authenticity and user trust. Others acknowledge the potential for innovation in content creation and platform dynamics. Meta continues to invest substantially in AI technologies to drive this evolution. The approach positions AI-generated elements as the primary content type in social media interactions, altering the balance from human-produced posts to algorithmically favored synthetic outputs.