Zuckerberg’s “Year of Intensity” Begins: Meta’s AI and Policy Shakeup

This month, Business Insider published an insightful deep dive into Meta’s whirlwind start to 2025, highlighting a company that is aggressively reshaping its policies, workforce, and AI ambitions. If 2024 was the "year of efficiency" for Meta, as CEO Mark Zuckerberg called it, then 2025 is shaping up to be a year of expansion, political recalibration, and an AI arms race.

A Frenzied Start to the Year

Meta wasted no time making significant changes in January. From overhauling its content moderation system to cutting diversity programs and announcing layoffs, the company is sprinting into the year at full speed. Zuckerberg set the tone early, telling employees to "buckle up" as the company accelerates its AI initiatives and repositions itself in the shifting political and economic landscape.

According to Forrester VP Mike Proulx, Meta’s "rather frenzied start" suggests that its past emphasis on efficiency has been "trumped in 2025 with an apparent year of ‘intensity.’"

Politics and Content Moderation: A Shift in Strategy

One of Meta’s most controversial moves was its decision to phase out third-party fact-checking in favor of community notes style moderation, mirroring Elon Musk’s X platform. "I think a community notes model is just going to be more effective," Zuckerberg stated. The company also relaxed its hate speech policies and will allow more political discussions on its platforms.

These shifts have been widely interpreted as an attempt to align with President Trump’s administration. After all, Trump was a fierce critic of Meta during his first term and has previously threatened regulatory action against the company. Meta’s $1 million donation to Trump’s inauguration fund and Zuckerberg’s presence near Trump during the swearing-in ceremony suggest a strategic pivot to stay in favor with Washington.

Meanwhile, Meta has also undergone leadership changes, with longtime Republican lobbyist Joel Kaplan taking over as Chief Global Affairs Officer from Nick Clegg. Other notable additions to the board include UFC president Dana White, a Trump ally.

Layoffs and an AI Spending Spree

While Meta continues to trim its workforce—announcing layoffs for 5% of employees this February—it is simultaneously doubling down on AI. The company plans to spend between $60 to $65 billion in capital expenditures this year, a massive increase from the $39 billion spent in 2024. This investment is aimed at AI infrastructure, monetization, and compliance, signaling a firm commitment to cementing Meta’s position as a dominant AI player.

Zuckerberg is particularly bullish on AI assistants, predicting that 2025 will be the year an AI assistant reaches 1 billion users. "Naturally, I want that to be Meta AI," he told employees. Additionally, Meta is gearing up to launch Llama 4, its latest open-source AI model, in a move that underscores its rivalry with OpenAI and Chinese upstart DeepSeek.

A High-Stakes Year for Meta

Meta’s approach to 2025 is one of calculated intensity, blending aggressive AI expansion with political maneuvering. Whether this strategy pays off remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: Zuckerberg is playing for high stakes, aiming to dominate the AI frontier while keeping Washington on his side. With billions of users and an increasingly AI-driven future, Meta’s next moves could shape the digital world for years to come.

References

• Sarah Jackson, Jordan Hart, Jyoti Mann, and Hugh Langley (2025, Feb-1). Meta's 2025 is off to a 'frenzied start.' Here's what we know about its plans for AI, glasses, social media, and more. Business Insider. Available online. Accessed 5 February 2025.