Meta says that it has paused its program to share Meta Horizon OS, the mixed reality operating system that powers its Quest headsets, with third-party device makers. The program was part of the company’s metaverse push — the idea behind the program was to create a “new generation of hardware” that would give VR users their pick of devices when it came to engaging with Meta’s digital worlds.“We have paused the program to focus on building the world-class first-party hardware and software needed to advance th ...

Core Insights - Meta Platforms is shifting its focus from the metaverse to artificial intelligence by reallocating executives and resources, indicating a strategic pivot in response to competitive pressures in the AI sector [1][2][3] Group 1: Executive Changes - Vishal Shah, who led Meta's metaverse efforts for the past four years, will now head the AI product team within the Meta Superintelligence Labs [1] - Gabe Aul will take over all metaverse-related work, while Ryan Cairns will continue to oversee Quest VR hardware and its operating system, reporting directly to CTO Andrew Bosworth [2] Group 2: Investment and Strategy - CEO Mark Zuckerberg has prioritized AI development, investing hundreds of billions in data centers and AI researchers to compete with rivals like OpenAI and Alphabet's Google [2] - Despite recent layoffs of approximately 600 employees in the AI department, the company aims to accelerate its development pace [2][3] Group 3: Future Focus - Zuckerberg expressed disappointment with the company's AI progress and has shown a strong interest in accelerating AI development, leading to multiple internal restructuring efforts [3] - Bosworth reassured employees that metaverse initiatives remain a priority, emphasizing the need to maintain competitive advantages in the industry [3]