Facebook uses AI to recommend videos: Are Reels about to get even more addictive?
Artificial intelligence is grabbing headlines as big tech players battle for supremacy in the field. Google boasts its Gemini, while Samsung flaunts its Galaxy AI, recently debuted with the latest Galaxy S24. Apple is also in the mix, developing its own AI features. And let's not forget Meta, which is keeping pace with the competition.
According to Engadget, Meta is shaking things up by infusing AI into Facebook's video recommendations. Tom Alison, Head of Facebook, spilled the beans that the new video recommendation algorithm, powered by AI, is already in action on Reels – Meta's answer to TikTok.
The plan is to roll this new AI-powered recommendation engine out across all sections of Facebook featuring videos — from the main Facebook feed to Groups. This is part of a broader "technology roadmap" set to unfold through 2026, revealed Alison during a tech conference at Morgan Stanley in San Francisco.
Making a splash in the TikTok arena has been a key focus for Meta, especially since the Chinese app, famed for its vertical video clips and a robust recommendation engine that seemingly knows what hooks users, skyrocketed in popularity in the US over the past few years. When Meta put the new AI-powered recommendation engine to the test with Reels, watch time shot up by approximately 8 to 10 percent, as shared by Alison.
Until now, Facebook had separate video recommendation engines for Reels, Groups, and the main Facebook feed. However, with the positive results observed in Reels, the company is now looking to apply the same AI-powered engine across all these products. Alison stated:
According to Engadget, Meta is shaking things up by infusing AI into Facebook's video recommendations. Tom Alison, Head of Facebook, spilled the beans that the new video recommendation algorithm, powered by AI, is already in action on Reels – Meta's answer to TikTok.
Making a splash in the TikTok arena has been a key focus for Meta, especially since the Chinese app, famed for its vertical video clips and a robust recommendation engine that seemingly knows what hooks users, skyrocketed in popularity in the US over the past few years. When Meta put the new AI-powered recommendation engine to the test with Reels, watch time shot up by approximately 8 to 10 percent, as shared by Alison.
Alison highlighted that the results showed them that this new model architecture is learning from the data much more efficiently than the previous generation and the company is on the “right track.”
Until now, Facebook had separate video recommendation engines for Reels, Groups, and the main Facebook feed. However, with the positive results observed in Reels, the company is now looking to apply the same AI-powered engine across all these products. Alison stated:
Instead of just powering Reels, we’re working on a project to power our entire video ecosystem with this single model, and then can we add our Feed recommendation product to also be served by this model. If we get this right, not only will the recommendations be kind of more engaging and more relevant, but we think the responsiveness of them can improve as well.
Meta's push to incorporate AI into all its products gained momentum with the explosion of AI technology following the launch of OpenAI’s ChatGPT at the end of 2022. In a video earlier this year, Mark Zuckerberg disclosed that the company is shelling out billions to snatch up hundreds of thousands of high-priced NVIDIA GPUs, crucial for training and powering AI models.
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