Meta’s pivot to AI closes the chapter on the metaverse experiment: What was meant to define the next internet instead became a costly detour.

Meta has pivoted from its metaverse vision to focus on AI-powered hardware, laying off 1,500 employees and shifting resources. The metaverse, once seen as the next internet, failed to capture public imagination and generated minimal revenue. Meta's failure to deliver breakthrough products and its significant financial losses highlight the misjudgment of its initial strategy. The company is now investing heavily in AI, recognizing it as the defining technological shift of the era.