Meta utilized AI to make it more challenging for users to abandon their Instagram feeds.

      Meta has announced that its new AI recommendation systems are extending the time users spend on Instagram by delivering more relevant Reels and Feed posts.

      Have you noticed yourself scrolling through Instagram for longer periods lately? You're not alone in this observation. Meta has shared insights with investors indicating that AI plays a crucial role in this trend.

      During the second-quarter earnings conference call, Meta reported a significant year-on-year increase in time spent on Instagram after launching its AI-driven recommendation systems. The company noted that the most notable improvements came from enhanced recommendations for Reels and other public content, making it simpler to highlight videos that users are likely to engage with.

      Every public post undergoes an AI assessment first.

      Meta's recommendation systems now offer more than just tracking likes or view duration. As stated by Chief Financial Officer Susan Li, Meta has trained large language models to understand the content of a Reel or Feed post, including its theme and tone, and combine that insight with a detailed analysis of each user's viewing history to anticipate what they will watch next.

      Li mentioned that Meta achieved a significant milestone earlier this year when every public Reel and Feed post on Instagram began to be automatically evaluated through a large language model (LLM). The company is applying this processing method to more areas of Facebook, and it has also started using a different family of models, known as Muse, for automatic topic classification and summarization of videos.

      This strategy seems to have benefitted Meta. Li noted that the largest single update to Reels ranking resulted in a 15 basis point increase in sessions, with the most considerable improvements in reshares and time spent. Meta is now extending this approach to the main Feed.

      Improved recommendations lead to more engaging feeds.

      For Meta, this AI-driven strategy is logical. Enhanced recommendations not only keep users engaged in the app for longer periods but also assist creators in reaching larger audiences and increasing ad space.

      For Instagram users, the effects are increasingly noticeable. As the platform becomes better at predicting what you might want to watch next, it becomes increasingly difficult to stop scrolling.

      Pranob is an experienced tech journalist with over eight years of experience in consumer technology reporting.

      Meta's recent legal setbacks reveal a potential vulnerability in social media's strongest protections.

      Plaintiffs are framing engagement features as intentionally designed products, an argument that could significantly weaken Section 230's effectiveness.

      Two jury losses have bolstered plaintiffs' efforts against Meta, although they have not fundamentally altered social media regulations. One case was based on New Mexico consumer protection statutes, while the other involved a California jury examining whether addictive design contributed to a young woman's mental health challenges.

      The verdicts, as reported by The Wall Street Journal, reached Meta through different legal channels. Collectively, they indicate that Section 230 may become a less reliable defense when a lawsuit focuses on the platform's own decisions.

      Meta AI is making its way into your Threads DMs, where awkward AI conversations belong.

      Not every AI chat should occupy space on your followers' feeds.

      One reason Grok AI gained popularity was its ability to engage users in direct conversations on X, resulting in some amusing exchanges. While Grok AI's public availability on X has led to several safety concerns, it is undeniable that this transparency contributed significantly to its popularity.

      It appears Meta sought a similar approach, as evidenced by its recent testing of Meta AI directly on Threads, allowing users to interact with it right in their feed. However, some users preferred private conversations, prompting Meta to relocate its Meta AI to Threads DMs.

      X Money has finally launched, and it offers much more than just a digital wallet.

      The new financial service aims to transform X into an application where users can pay, save, spend, and transfer money.

      Elon Musk's ambition to evolve X into an "everything app" has taken a major stride forward. The company has officially started rolling out X Money to Premium and Premium+ subscribers in the United States. Rather than functioning merely as another digital wallet, X Money is designed as a comprehensive financial platform integrated into the social media platform, allowing users to send and receive money, hold cash, earn interest, and spend with a Visa debit card—all without exiting the X app.