Meta Platforms has appointed Vishal Shah, formerly Vice President of its Metaverse division, to oversee product management for the company’s artificial intelligence (AI) initiatives, underscoring the social media giant’s accelerating focus on AI technologies.
According to a report by the Financial Times, Shah will now report to Nat Friedman, Meta’s Head of AI Product. The appointment comes as part of a broader reorganisation of Meta’s AI operations, designed to consolidate leadership and streamline product development across its expanding AI portfolio.
Shah, a Meta veteran, previously led product management at Instagram for over six years before taking charge of the Metaverse division in 2021. His move marks a strategic realignment, reflecting Meta’s shift from metaverse-centric ambitions toward a stronger emphasis on AI innovation and integration across its platforms.
A Meta spokesperson confirmed Shah’s new role but declined to provide further details when contacted by Reuters.
The leadership change follows Meta’s recent decision to lay off roughly 600 employees from its Superintelligence Labs unit, a move aimed at making the company’s AI organisation more agile and focused.
With this restructuring, Meta joins peers like Microsoft, OpenAI, and Anthropic in intensifying investments in advanced AI systems and applications — from generative models to intelligent content tools embedded across social and enterprise products.
