Meta says AI speeds app launches, plans more soon

Meta is using artificial intelligence to speed up app development, CEO Mark Zuckerberg said during the company’s second-quarter earnings call on July 29, 2026.

The company has shipped Instagram Instants, the standalone Groups app Forum, and the Marketplace app Seller in 2026, all built with AI assistance.

Meta has a long history of failed standalone apps, with previous incubators like Creative Labs and the NPE Team launching dozens of products—including Slingshot, Rooms, and Tuned—that were eventually shut down.

Large language models are now enabling faster software development and better content recommendations. In 2026, every Reel and Feed post on Instagram is automatically processed through an LLM to analyze topic and tone, improving recommendations, CFO Susan Li said. The company is also developing LLM-native recommendation systems to help new apps scale.

Threads has crossed 500 million monthly active users as of July 2026, benefiting from AI-powered recommendations and heavy cross-promotion across Facebook and Instagram. Zuckerberg reiterated that Threads could become Meta’s next billion-user app.

Zuckerberg said he expects AI to make it “a lot easier to ship new apps” and that the company is “planning to build out more ideas.” He added that “new consumer products” are “releasing soon,” without offering specifics.