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answer: direct
beat: ai-industry
source: 1 article · updated: July 3, 2026
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Why did Meta pivot from the metaverse to AI?

After the metaverse failed to attract mainstream users despite tens of billions in spend, Zuckerberg reportedly redirected Meta toward building general-purpose AI models, committing roughly $115 billion to compete with OpenAI and Google rather than doubling down on Meta's own ad-targeting advantage.

Answered in

Meta Didn’t Lose the Future. It Lost the Plot

Meta burned $80B on the metaverse, pirated books for AI, and hid debt in Enron-style deals. Here's the strategic collapse, reportedly, in order.

Crashtech Editorial July 3, 2026 AI Business & Money

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