Meta Platforms Inc Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg has outlined a detailed strategy for monetizing artificial intelligence, revealing that 9 million small businesses on the company's platforms are now using at least one of its AI ad creative tools. Speaking on a conference call, Zuckerberg described the company's AI monetization plan as a 'Business in a Box' service, combining a mix of subscriptions and volume-based pricing. This marks a significant step in translating Meta's AI investments into concrete revenue models, building on the company's established advertising infrastructure.

Zuckerberg also indicated that while the majority of Meta's compute is currently directed toward its own business operations, the company expects to grow a large business serving large customers as well. This dual-track approach signals Meta's ambition to both deepen AI integration within its own ecosystem and expand into external enterprise markets. The CEO's comments underscore a broad and scalable vision for AI commercialization across multiple customer segments.

AI Tools Gaining Traction Among Small Businesses

The disclosure that 9 million small businesses are actively using at least one of Meta's AI ad creative tools highlights the rapid adoption of AI-powered features within the company's advertiser base. This scale of adoption provides Meta with a substantial foundation upon which to build its monetization strategy, demonstrating real-world demand for AI-driven advertising solutions. The integration of these tools into existing ad workflows reflects Meta's strategy of embedding AI capabilities directly into its current ecosystem of applications and services, rather than offering them as standalone products.

'Business in a Box' Monetization Model

The 'Business in a Box' framework represents Meta's structured approach to packaging AI services for commercial deployment. By combining subscription-based pricing with volume-based pricing, the model is designed to cater to a range of business sizes and usage patterns, from smaller advertisers to large enterprise customers. The following table summarizes the key elements of Meta's AI monetization strategy as outlined by Zuckerberg:

Compute Strategy And Scale

Zuckerberg noted that the majority of Meta's compute resources are currently allocated toward supporting its own business, reflecting the scale of AI integration across its platforms. However, the company also expects to grow a significant business serving large external customers, indicating plans to expand its compute capacity and infrastructure to meet broader market demand. This approach mirrors the company's earlier commentary on managing compute allocation dynamically, ensuring that investments in foundational models and infrastructure yield optimal returns across both internal and external use cases.

The European Commission has accepted X's corrective measures to terminate breaches of the Digital Services Act (DSA), concluding proceedings concerning the platform's compliance with the EU's digital regulations. This acceptance follows a review of the actions taken by X to address the Commission's concerns. Separately, the Commission has preliminarily found Meta in breach of the DSA regarding the addictive design of Instagram and Facebook, targeting features such as infinite scroll, autoplay, push notifications, and highly personalised recommender systems.

If confirmed, Meta could face a fine capped at 6% of its total worldwide annual turnover. The Commission determined that Meta must implement design changes to both platforms, including disabling autoplay and infinite scroll by default, implementing effective screen time breaks, and adjusting the recommender system to be less engagement-oriented. Awareness-raising measures, such as links to mental health resources, were found insufficient to mitigate the risks of addictive design.

Risk Mitigation Failures

Evidence suggests that Meta's current measures to mitigate these risks are ineffective. Time management tools on Instagram and Facebook, including those enabled by default for teenagers, can be easily dismissed and do not result in meaningful usage reduction. Parental controls are deemed inefficient as they require significant technical expertise and time from guardians to be effective.

Investigation Background

These preliminary findings are part of formal proceedings launched on 16 May 2024 to investigate Meta's compliance with the DSA. The investigation analysed Meta's risk assessment reports, internal data, and responses to information requests. It also included a review of scientific research and expert interviews. Separate preliminary findings regarding age assurance measures for minors below 13 years old were adopted on 29 April 2026.