Meta quietly reorganized its recommendations division to create an elite AI research lab focused on improving its core algorithms.
The new unit, led by Yang Song—a former TikTok leader—aims to enhance how content is recommended across Facebook and Instagram. The team is part of Meta’s Recommendation Systems group, which powers user feeds and works closely with its ads business.
Meta has been aggressively hiring top AI talent from OpenAI, Google, and Amazon to strengthen this effort. The lab, known as MRS Research, focuses on long-term AI development and cutting-edge research to improve engagement and ad performance.
The move reflects Meta’s broader strategy to use advanced AI to optimize its platforms, making recommendations more personalized and effective while reinforcing its core advertising business.