Meta Platforms Inc. (NASDAQ:META) announced Wednesday that it is turning Threads into a much bigger business as the app matures into a fast-growing conversation hub.
At the same time, the company's new AI lab starts producing models meant to power more consumer products and ad tools.
Two years after launch, Threads has grown into a distinct community-driven platform with its own voices and niches, and it now reaches more than 400 million monthly active users, the company said in its blog.
Meta says the scale makes Threads a prime place for real-time conversation—and an easy new channel for brands to extend existing campaigns and join those discussions.
Meta Expands Threads Ads Worldwide
Meta said it will begin expanding ads on Threads to users worldwide starting next week, building on the first ad rollout to advertisers last spring.
The company said Threads ads run on Meta's AI-powered ads system, which it says should deliver the same kind of personalization people already see across Facebook and Instagram.
Meta also said the global rollout will happen gradually.
Threads Ad Tools
Meta said it has continued to build out the Threads ad experience since launch by expanding how ads appear and adding advertiser protections.
The company said it is simplifying account management by letting businesses manage Threads inside Business Settings alongside Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.
Meta also said it has broadened Threads ad formats to include 4:5 aspect ratio, carousel ads, and the ability to run Advantage+ catalog and app ads.
It also said it plans to keep adding new features to Threads.
Meta's AI Lab Delivers Early Models
Meta is also leaning on AI to support these platform expansions. The company's chief technology officer, Andrew Bosworth, said Meta's new artificial intelligence lab delivered its first high-profile AI models internally this month, and he said the work from the Meta Superintelligence Labs team "showed a lot of promise" and that the models were "very good," Reuters reported on Wednesday.
He noted the team is still early in its buildout and said AI still requires substantial "post-training" work to make models usable for internal teams and consumers.
Bosworth also said Meta began seeing favorable returns from its significant 2025 investments, which he described as a "tremendously chaotic year" spent building the lab and infrastructure and securing power.
He said 2026 and 2027 will matter for bringing consumer AI products to market as AI trends become clearer, and he pointed to Meta's push around AI-equipped Ray-Ban Display glasses, noting the company paused international expansion earlier this month to prioritize fulfilling U.S. orders.
Meta stock gained just 1.20% in the last 12 months.
Jefferies analyst Brent Thill reiterated a Buy rating on Meta and a $910 price forecast. The analyst said buy the dip for Meta stock, reiterating it as the top pick.
META Price Action: Meta Platforms shares were up 3.92% at $636.99 at the time of publication on Thursday, according to Benzinga Pro data.
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