Meta is assembling an elite AI team to strengthen its advertising business

Meta is forming an elite team of AI researchers and engineers to optimize powerful algorithms that keep users' attention on Facebook and Instagram, writes Business Insider, citing job openings and LinkedIn postings. The strengthening of recommendation systems is directly related to the company's advertising business, which remains a key source of its revenue.

A new team called MRS Research is part of the Meta Recommendation Systems division, which is responsible for the formation of feeds in the company's applications, writes Business Insider. MRS develops algorithms that determine what content users see and works closely with the company's advertising division.

The team has already attracted specialists from TikTok and Amazon, the publication points out. According to the job description, it will focus on long-term tasks in the field of AI and advanced scientific research for the development of Meta recommendation algorithms.

The head of MRS Research is Meta's VP of recommendation research Yang Song, who joined the company in November 2025, moving from TikTok, where he was responsible for user base growth and recommendation systems, reports the publication. Amazon AI researcher Lihoon Lee soon joined the team, according to his LinkedIn profile. The company also hired former OpenAI researcher Xiaolong Wang and Google specialist Fei Sha, according to LinkedIn.

Meta declined to comment on specific AI appointments.

The move by Meta reflects its intention to use AI to strengthen key revenue streams, namely advertising, Business Insider notes. So, in late 2025, the company launched an AI model that it says improves advertising effectiveness by showing users more relevant ads. In December, Meta began using subscribers' data from their dialogs with AI for targeting and issuing recommended content in social networks.

Advertising is the company's main source of revenue. At the end of 2025, its revenue amounted to $201 billion, of which advertising brought $196.2 billion. Morgan Stanley said on March 30 that it expects Ma's advertising revenue to grow by 28% in 2026 and 21% in 2027.

The company has been actively building out its AI team since the summer, when it announced the creation of Meta Superintelligence Labs (MSL), led by former Scale AI CEO Alexander Wang. At the same time, the MRS division is not part of MSL, a Meta spokesperson clarified.

Meta's securities added 1.2% in trading on April 1, while they are down about 12% since the beginning of the year. According to analysts from Morgan Stanley, investor sentiment regarding these shares deteriorated amid concerns about the long-term strategy in generative AI, uncertainty with the return on invested capital, as well as macroeconomic, advertising and regulatory risks, writes MarketScreener.

On March 24, Meta's securities collapsed by 8% and fell below $548 for the first time in 11 months. As a result of the sale, the company lost $119 billion in capitalization and from the top-7 most expensive U.S. issuers. The quotes were affected by the loss of two landmark court cases on the influence of social networks on young people. A court in Los Angeles ordered Meta and Google to pay $6 million in a lawsuit over the harm to mental health due to addiction to Instagram and YouTube, and a court in New Mexico fined Meta $375 million for insufficient protection of minors from online threats.

Morgan Stanley maintained its recommendation to buy Meta shares, but lowered the target price from $825 to $775. This target implies a 35% upside potential relative to the last close.

Wall Street's consensus on Meta shares remains positive, with 61 analysts out of 69 covering the stock recommending a buy. Six hold a neutral stance. There are no sell recommendations.

This article was AI-translated and verified by a human editor