Welcome to the Meta Re-Verse
Quest, LLaMA, and the power of the Advantage+ platform.
The New Meta
In the dynamic, ever-evolving tech landscape, Meta has once again embarked on a transformative journey, revisiting its roots while propelling into the future. This article delves into several crucial aspects:
Meta’s response to the iOS 14.5 privacy update that suffocated its ad revenue
The remarkable LLaMA AI system, a groundbreaking large language model
Meta’s strategic pivot toward augmented reality (AR)-centric future
The potential risks associated with a TikTok-dominated ecosystem
iOS 14.5 Privacy and Meta’s Ripple Effects
With the advent of Apple’s iOS 14.5, user privacy took center stage, presenting challenges to targeted advertising and data tracking that once bolstered Meta’s ecosystem. This shift towards privacy prompted Meta to rethink its strategies and prioritize user trust. Instead of engaging in conflict with Apple, Meta chose to innovate.
Meta’s groundbreaking LLaMA (Large Language Model Meta AI) system utilizes advanced machine learning, enabling the creation of Meta Advantage+. A platform that can deliver a significantly improved ROAS compared to the pre-iOS 14.5 era. Advantage+ powered by LLaMA comprehends user behavior, preferences, and interests, facilitating a more personalized ad delivery with judicious spending. This cutting-edge 65-billion-parameter large language model upholds Apple’s privacy values while empowering Meta’s businesses with a valuable tool for strong growth.
What are Parameters?
I asked chatGPT to explain parameters to a five-year-old. It came up with: “ Imagine you have a special robot friend who loves to learn new things. This robot has some special buttons inside that it can adjust to get better at certain tasks. These buttons are called “parameters.”
To teach the robot, we give it examples of things to learn from, like pictures of animals and their names. The robot looks at these examples and uses its buttons (parameters) to understand better how animals look and their names.
As the robot keeps looking at more examples, it adjusts its buttons (parameters) to recognize animals and their names better. After much practice, the robot becomes super intelligent and can quickly tell you the names of animals just by looking at pictures!
So, parameters are like the robot’s special buttons that help it learn and get really good at different things, just like you learn new things by practicing and getting better!”
The Future of Meta Quest
Recognizing the potential of augmented reality (AR), Meta has steered away from a heavy VR focus and channeled resources into the development of AR technologies. The Meta Quest ecosystem plays a pivotal role in the company’s success. Still, the Metaverse is not yet fully ready for mass adoption; Meta made a pragmatic move towards bringing people together in the physical world with digital enhancements. This shift also involved streamlining resources through significant job cuts to support the realization of these advanced technologies.
Meta vs. TikTok
While Meta has taken criticism over its ethics and values, including from myself, it’s essential to acknowledge that no company is without flaws. Global smartphone manufacturers, for instance, source cobalt batteries from mines tainted by human rights violations. While Meta’s actions may be subject to scrutiny, an alternative dominated by TikTok should terrify everyone.
Both Meta and Tiktok collect vast amounts of user data, including personal information, device information, location data, and behavioral patterns. However, Tiktok is owned by a Chinese company called ByteDance which means it falls under Chinese jurisdiction and regulatory control. Would you rather have your data harvested by Meta, an American company with American values, or Tiktok, a Chinese company whose motives are unclear, and use their data to advance sophisticated AI programs that will inevitably push communist values like censorship?
In a rapidly evolving world dominated by social media, where user attention is at a premium and data is harnessed to develop superintelligent AI systems, companies are vying to become the go-to search engine and marketplace, fueled by the growing trend of social commerce. In this world, the potential power that comes with creating a network boasting the most users is unparalleled and unprecedented.
2023 and Beyond
Meta’s journey is a tale of adaptation and innovation, as it carves an exciting path by embracing privacy changes, AR/VR technology, releasing LLaMA, and providing a haven for businesses. In a landscape where some are critical of Zuckerberg and TikTok poses potential uncertainties, Meta’s transformative approach exemplifies the ongoing competition for digital supremacy, where user trust and personalized experiences take precedence.