Meta Looking to Hire Generative AI-Focused Workers on Metaverse Team After Layoffs

Meta has listed fresh job openings for its metaverse unit at its headquarters in California, after recent layoffs at its Reality Labs unit. The social networking giant is looking for professionals proficient in generative AI (GenAI), which suggests that that it could integrate the nascent technology with its metaverse-related efforts in the future. Under CEO Mark Zuckerberg, the firm has been developing technology related to software and hardware for the metaverse, ever since it was rebranded from Facebook to Meta in 2021.

Meta's recent job listing suggests AI is coming to metaverse gaming

A new job listing suggests that Meta is considering a fusion of generative AI technology with games that feature virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality (MR) content.

The listing states that the role at the Meta Metaverse Content leadership team would involve mapping out a GenAI strategy for the company's games (starting with Reality Labs) with a focus on Horizon, to build the "next generation of content through generative AI" — including AR, VR, and MR content.

Meta Horizon OS is the operating system (OS) developed by the company to power its Quest headsets, which are the gateway to Meta's immersive gaming ecosystem that includes titles such as Horizon Worlds.

As per the job description, the employee would work as an individual contributor in finalising Meta's GenAI strategy for content creation and games. This will involve working with game creators and developers, as well as conducting research on new consumer experiences (including new forms of gameplay) and prototyping them. In addition, the assigned person will also be responsible for managing the R&D budget to complete ‘multiple experimental work streams', according to the company.

Meta to increase focus on streamlining metaverse team

Last month, Meta bifurcated the Reality Labs team into two parts – one to oversee metaverse related initiatives and the other to focus on other advanced technologies like AR, VR. Founded by Zuckerberg in 2022, Reality Labs has been the central point of Meta's exploration of the metaverse technology.

At the time, the company reportedly announced multiple layoffs as part of the restructuring of Reality Labs.

Under its leader Vishal Shah, the metaverse unit of Reality Labs will handle development related to the Quest VR headset, the Horizon OS, and Meta's social VR platform Horizon Worlds.

Reality Labs has remained a loss making entity since it was set up.

The unit lost $13.7 billion (roughly Rs. 1,12,200 crore) in 2022, with a subsequent loss of $46.5 billion while generating nearly $11 billion (roughly Rs. 91,744 crore) in revenue in the fourth quarter of 2023.