Meta, the parent company of Facebook, has long been a pioneer in the digital world, kickstarting the modern social media era in the early 2000s. However, over the past decade, its efforts to expand beyond social media have struggled to achieve the same level of success. Despite these challenges, Meta is once again pushing the boundaries of innovation, this time with a bold new venture: humanoid robots. According to a recent report by Bloomberg, a new team within Meta is working on robots designed to perform household tasks. But the company’s broader ambition goes far beyond just creating a physical product—it aims to build a platform that other companies can use to develop their own robots. If successful, this platform could establish Meta as a cornerstone of the robotics industry.
Meta’s need for such a breakthrough is evident. While its social media apps, including Facebook and Instagram, remain wildly popular, the company has struggled to dominate the hardware space. In the early 2000s, when smartphones became the primary devices for accessing these apps, Apple and Google quickly cornered the market with iOS and Android. Meta, on the other hand, missed out on this opportunity, leaving it reliant on the platforms of its competitors. Now, the company is determined not to repeat this mistake. Over the past five years, Meta has aggressively invested in artificial intelligence and the metaverse, a vision of immersive digital spaces that could redefine the future of computing. By branching out into robotics, Meta is taking another significant step toward securing its place as a leader in the next era of technology.
The path ahead, however, won’t be easy. Meta faces stiff competition in the robotics space, particularly from Tesla and Nvidia. Tesla, for instance, showcased its humanoid Optimus robot at last year’s Cybertruck launch event, while Nvidia introduced new AI technologies designed to power robots at the 2023 Consumer Electronics Show. Despite these rivals, Meta’s approach seems to differ in scope. Rather than focusing solely on creating a Meta-branded home robot, the company’s primary goal is to build a platform that others can use—a strategy reminiscent of how Google’s Android operating system became the backbone of the smartphone industry. If Meta can pull this off, it could establish itself as an indispensable player in the robotics sector.
Meta’s expansion into robotics is part of a larger effort to redefine its purpose and move beyond its roots as a social media company. This shift became official in 2021 when the company rebranded as Meta, signaling its commitment to building the metaverse. In its 2021 founder’s letter, CEO Mark Zuckerberg described this transition as the “next chapter” for both the internet and the company. The metaverse, a term that encompasses virtual and augmented reality environments, is central to this vision. While the concept remains niche compared to the ubiquity of smartphones—only 7.7 million mixed reality headsets are expected to ship globally in 2025, compared to hundreds of millions of smartphones—Meta has already established itself as the market leader in this space, accounting for nearly 71% of all mixed reality headsets sold.
Despite its leadership in the metaverse, Meta’s previous attempts to diversify its product lineup have had mixed results. In 2013, for example, it partnered with HTC to release a Facebook-branded smartphone. The device failed to gain traction, with AT&T slashing its price to just $0.99 shortly after its release—a clear sign of poor sales. Meta also ventured into the smart home market with its Portal video calling device, which was rebranded and eventually discontinued. However, not all of Meta’s hardware efforts have been unsuccessful. Its Ray-Ban smart glasses, launched in 2023, have shown promise, with two million pairs sold by early 2024. While this number is modest compared to the sales of smartphones or even virtual reality headsets, it represents a foothold in a new and rapidly evolving market.
Looking ahead, Meta’s success in the robotics and artificial intelligence space will depend on its ability to innovate and adapt in a highly competitive landscape. Companies like Google and Samsung are also making moves in this direction, with Google announcing a new version of Android designed for mixed reality devices and Samsung developing its own lineup of smart glasses. If Meta can establish itself as a platform provider for robotics, it could secure a critical role in shaping the future of this industry. Ultimately, Meta’s goal is to ensure that its name becomes synonymous with more than just social media—it wants to be at the forefront of the next generation of technology. Whether through the metaverse, smart glasses, or humanoid robots, Meta is betting on a future where it is no longer just a platform for sharing updates and photos, but a defining force in how people live, work, and interact with the world around them.
