Meta is advancing two proprietary AI products

According to tech media outlet The Information, Meta Platforms is simultaneously advancing two proprietary artificial intelligence (Agentic AI) products: a consumer-grade AI agent codenamed "Hatch," and an upcoming shopping agency tool to be integrated into Instagram, with the goal of launching live by the fourth quarter of this year.

This is the latest move by Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg to demonstrate a path to commercial monetization to the market after substantial investments in AI infrastructure.

"Hatch": The Consumer Version of OpenClaw

Insiders reveal that "Hatch" is a consumer evolution of Meta's internal AI agency system OpenClaw, aiming to build a universal AI assistant capable of autonomously completing tasks across applications, rather than just answering questions as a chatbot. The project is currently in the internal research and development stage, with plans to complete internal company testing by the end of June, followed by a wider user testing cycle.

In parallel, Meta is developing a standalone Instagram shopping agency tool, with the goal of allowing users to directly search for products, compare prices, and check out within the Instagram chat, without the need to switch to a third-party browser or e-commerce platform.

As reported by the Financial Times concurrently, Meta is also internally testing another personalized assistant based on the Muse Spark model, capable of executing structured tasks such as schedule management and information inquiries across Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.

The Ultimate Monetization of Social Graphs

Meta's bet on Agentic AI is fundamentally based on a data asset that other platforms can hardly replicate. Meta possesses the viewing behavior, following relationships, shopping records, chat content, and location data of billions of users; this behavioral graph endows its AI agency with an unprecedented level of accuracy in product recommendations compared to pure search platforms.

Zuckerberg clearly stated at an investor meeting in January this year that Meta would fully roll out AI shopping agencies across Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp by 2026, positioning it as one of the core revenue streams of the company's AI investments.

The Information's report indicates that when shopping agencies become the primary product discovery interface for users within the Meta platform, the logic of brand advertising placement will随之 change accordingly: product recommendation spots in agency responses will become Meta's fourth advertising revenue curve following Feed, Reels, and Stories.

AI Infrastructure Spending for 2026 Increased to $115 to $135 Billion

Meta's AI infrastructure capital expenditure guidance for this year has been increased to $115 to $135 billion, a significant leap from the $72 billion in 2025.

At the earnings report meeting, analysts have continuously inquired when this investment will generate quantifiable revenue returns. The unveiling of Hatch and the Instagram shopping agency is a phased response from the management to this question—shifting the entry point for traffic monetization away from ad clicks to transaction completion.

Dual Pressure of Regulation and Competition

However, Meta's path to Agentic AI is not without resistance. As shopping agencies take control of users' purchasing decisions, the platform's control over product exposure will significantly strengthen. Regulatory agencies under the EU's Digital Markets Act (DMA) and Digital Services Act (DSA) frameworks have begun reviewing whether Meta uses AI agencies to reinforce its platform's competitive advantage.

At the same time, OpenAI, Google, and Amazon are also accelerating the layout of consumer-grade AI agency shopping scenarios. Meta is facing not only a technology competition but a comprehensive stake war at the business model level.