Meta announced on Tuesday, May 14,  its decision to shut down its business-focused Workplace app. 

Initially introduced in 2016, Workplace facilitated colleague file sharing and was a central repository for company policies and documents.

By 2021, the app had amassed 7 million paid subscribers.

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Meta AI and Metaverse

Meta explained that the development of AI and metaverse technologies is expected to revolutionize how people work. This led to the discontinuation of Workplace, an online collaboration tool primarily designed for corporate clients.

According to CBS News, the tech giant will redirect its resources instead towards artificial intelligence (AI) and the metaverse.

Existing Workplace users will have until August 31, 2025, to continue using the platform before transitioning to Zoom's Workvivo product, identified by Meta as its "sole preferred migration partner." 

Now, Meta assures customers they will have access to their Workplace data for approximately one year after the app ceases operation.

This is not news for Meta, which has been prioritizing its investments in developing technologies related to the metaverse and artificial intelligence this year.

VCPost reported that CEO Mark Zuckerberg urges investors to remain patient and maintain their long-term vision for AI. This call for patience follows a decline in the company's stock triggered by Meta's announcement of plans to ramp up investment in AI, coupled with slower-than-expected sales growth. 

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