Zuckerberg: AI Boosts Facebook & Instagram Engagement in Q2

Meta Reports Increased User Engagement Driven by AI

Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, has attributed the rise in user time spent across the company’s applications during the second quarter to advancements in AI technology.

Despite growing consumer concerns regarding the proliferation of low-quality, AI-generated content – often termed “AI slop” – Meta asserts that its AI systems are becoming more effective at connecting users with relevant and engaging content.

Improvements in Recommendation Systems

“Our capacity to present users with content they find both interesting and valuable has been substantially enhanced by AI,” Zuckerberg communicated to investors during the Q2 earnings conference call.

He further explained that improvements to their recommendation algorithms have resulted in a notable increase in engagement. Specifically, time spent on Facebook rose by 5%, and Instagram saw a 6% increase in usage this quarter.

Growth in Daily Active Users and Revenue

Meta reported that over 3.4 billion individuals utilized one of its “family of apps” – encompassing Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp – on a daily basis in June.

This represents a 6% year-over-year increase and contributed to a total revenue of $47.1 billion for the family of apps, a 22% year-over-year growth.

Video Consumption and Threads Performance

The company also highlighted a 20% year-over-year increase in video viewing time, attributing this growth to optimizations within Meta’s ranking systems and efforts to prioritize original content on Instagram.

Furthermore, Meta’s competitor to X, Threads, experienced gains in user engagement due to the “incorporation of LLMs” – Large Language Models.

These advancements demonstrate Meta’s commitment to leveraging AI to enhance user experience and drive business growth.