Meta Appoints New Metaverse Leader as AI Focus Grows

Meta’s Reality Labs division is undergoing another leadership transition as the company recalibrates its approach to the virtual world. This latest executive shuffle occurs as the organization scales back specific metaverse ambitions to prioritize significant investments in artificial intelligence.

Leadership Transitions in Reality Labs

Gabriel Aul, who led the metaverse products group since October of last year, announced his retirement in February. After serving in an advisory role, Aul fully departed the company last month.

Saxs Persson, a former executive at Epic Games who joined Meta during the October reshuffle, has been appointed to fully take over as the head of Horizon. Notably, the announcement regarding Persson’s new role makes no mention of the Metaverse unit previously managed by Aul.

This follows previous changes where Vishal Shah, a former top metaverse executive, moved into a leadership position within Meta’s superintelligence effort during the October 2025 reorganization.

Did You Know? Meta has doubled its capital expenditures this year, allocating between $125 billion and $145 billion toward its initiatives, with a heavy shift toward AI.

Strategic Pivot Toward AI

The leadership changes come amid a period of instability for Meta’s virtual-world strategy. The company conducted substantial layoffs across the Reality Labs division in March.

Why Facebook-Parent Meta Is Willing To Lose Billions On The Metaverse

Earlier this year, Meta shut down support for its virtual world, Horizon, on its virtual reality headsets, though this decision was later reversed. These fluctuations raise questions regarding how the metaverse fits into the company’s long-term future.

Expert Insight: Samantha Carter suggests that the rapid rotation of executives and the massive reallocation of capital toward AI may indicate a strategic tension. Meta appears to be balancing the immediate demands of the AI race while attempting to maintain its long-term vision of a blended digital and physical environment.

The Future of the Metaverse

Despite the shifts in personnel and spending, Meta maintains that it has not abandoned the metaverse. Chief Technical Officer Andrew Bosworth has stated that the vision extends beyond Horizon Worlds.

The company aims to blend digital and physical worlds to define what it describes as the next computing platform. Ryan Cairns also remains a key figure, having been appointed to lead Horizon in October.

Moving forward, Meta may continue to integrate AI more deeply into its virtual reality offerings. The company will further refine the scope of Reality Labs to better align with its superintelligence goals.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is now leading Horizon at Meta?
Saxs Persson, a former Epic Games executive, has fully taken over as the head of Horizon.

How has Meta’s spending changed this year?
Meta has doubled its capital expenditures, which now range from $125 billion to $145 billion, with a significant portion shifted toward AI.

What happened to Gabriel Aul?
Gabriel Aul announced his retirement in February and fully left the company last month after a brief period in an advisory role.

How do you think the integration of AI will change the future of virtual reality platforms?