According to a LinkedIn post from Shih on Tuesday, Clara Shih, Salesforce’s CEO of AI, will lead Meta’s new organization that builds AI tools for businesses that use Meta’s apps to reach consumers. In a statement to TechCrunch, Meta confirmed the appointment and the new Business AI group.
Shih shared her excitement about making cutting-edge AI available to businesses of all sizes, helping them succeed in the AI era. Following her departure, Adam Evans has stepped up as Salesforce’s new executive vice president and general manager of AI.
Meta’s approach to AI differs from its competitors. Unlike OpenAI and Google, which sell AI chatbot subscriptions, Meta focuses on using its Llama language models to enhance its existing apps. The new Business AI group will create AI tools specifically for the millions of businesses already advertising on Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp.
While the exact features aren’t announced yet, Meta might focus on AI-generated advertising tools. The company has already started experimenting with AI-generated content on its platforms, including AI-created photos on Facebook and AI chatbots that mimic content creators on Instagram. This marks a significant change from Meta’s traditional focus on human-created content.
John Hegeman, Meta’s VP and Head of Monetization emphasized that AI advancements could help businesses become more efficient and improve customer experiences. The company hasn’t revealed whether these AI tools will be free to encourage more ad spending or sold as separate products.
Shih’s move to Meta is particularly interesting given her history with the company – she wrote a book called “The Facebook Era” in 2009. She leaves Salesforce at a challenging time, as the company has struggled to convince investors of its AI strategy, leading to its biggest stock drop since 2008 earlier this year.
