Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, is preparing to launch two new advanced artificial intelligence models named Mango and Avocado in 2026. These upcoming AI systems are expected to play a major role in Meta’s long-term technology strategy and help the company compete with global AI leaders like OpenAI, Google and Microsoft.
According to reports, Mango and Avocado are being developed as part of Meta’s renewed focus on artificial intelligence after facing criticism for falling behind rivals in recent years. The company has now reorganised its AI teams and created a new division called Meta Superintelligence Labs, which will focus on building powerful and smarter AI systems.
What Are Mango and Avocado?
The two AI models are being designed for different purposes.
Mango will be a multimodal AI model, meaning it can understand and generate different types of content such as images, videos and possibly audio. This model is expected to improve how Meta creates visual content for its platforms. It could help users generate videos, design images, and enhance creative tools on apps like Instagram and Facebook.
Avocado, on the other hand, will be a large language model (LLM). It will focus on text-based tasks such as writing, coding, answering complex questions and reasoning. Meta aims to make Avocado smarter than its current AI systems, with better understanding and problem-solving abilities.
Both models are expected to launch in the first half of 2026.
Why Meta Is Investing Heavily in AI
Meta’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg has made it clear that artificial intelligence is one of the company’s top priorities. Over the past year, Meta has invested billions of dollars into AI research, new data centres and hiring top AI experts.
One major reason behind this push is competition. Companies like OpenAI have gained global attention with tools such as ChatGPT and Sora, while Google continues to improve its Gemini AI models. Meta wants Mango and Avocado to help it close this gap and regain leadership in the AI space.
Meta also plans to integrate these AI models into its products. This could mean smarter chatbots on WhatsApp, better content recommendations on Instagram, improved ad tools for businesses, and more creative features for users.
Leadership Behind the Project
The AI push is being led by Alexandr Wang, Meta’s Chief AI Officer. Under his leadership, Meta has been focusing on building AI systems that go beyond simple chat functions and can handle complex reasoning and creative tasks.
The company has also been hiring AI researchers aggressively, offering high salaries to attract talent from competitors.
What This Means for Users
For everyday users, Mango and Avocado could bring more advanced AI tools directly into social media apps. This may include AI-generated videos, smarter captions, improved search, and faster content creation.
For developers and businesses, these models could provide better coding assistance, marketing tools and data analysis support.
While exact features have not yet been announced, Meta believes these models will mark a major step forward in AI development.
As 2026 approaches, all eyes will be on whether Mango and Avocado can truly help Meta compete in the fast-moving AI race.