Meta is quietly assembling a new hardware team within its superintelligence division, signaling a bold push into AI-powered devices beyond its current virtual reality and smart glasses lineup.
Building on a Legacy in AI and Hardware
Meta, already a major player in augmented and virtual reality through its Reality Labs, is turning up the heat in the AI hardware race. The company has formed a new team inside Meta Superintelligence Labs (MSL), its AI-focused division launched last year, aimed at creating cutting-edge AI devices that extend beyond phones and wearables.
This initiative is under the radar, but insiders reveal that engineers from Reality Labs have shifted over to MSL to help prototype new AI software on existing hardware platforms. The collaboration between these two divisions hints at Meta’s plan to merge its expertise in hardware with its ambitions in artificial intelligence.
Rui Xu: A Key Hire for Meta’s AI Hardware Ambitions
Heading up this new hardware team is Rui Xu, a seasoned engineer with a track record in consumer devices and AI startups. Xu recently led hardware efforts at Dreamer, an AI agent startup that Meta acquired last month through an acqui-hire, according to sources close to the matter.
Before Dreamer, Xu was the chief operating officer at K-Scale, a robotics startup that closed last year. His connections run deep in the AI community, with Nat Friedman, MSL’s product and applied research lead, having invested in K-Scale via his AI Grant program.
Xu’s experience spans major tech companies as well. He managed smart device development at ByteDance, the owner of TikTok, where he oversaw a lab responsible for shipping millions of devices in China. His background also includes senior roles at Xiaomi, Lenovo, and Tencent, where he honed his skills in smartphone, laptop, and internet services hardware.
Meta’s Broader Vision for AI Devices
Meta’s hardware push aligns with a broader industry trend: the race to create AI-native personal devices that go beyond traditional smartphones. OpenAI and other tech giants are vying to introduce devices powered by AI agents that can interact naturally and constantly with users.
In a recent podcast, MSL’s chief Alexandr Wang described a future where everyone has a personal AI agent living across a "constellation" of devices. Wang said the vision includes devices that are always on, observing and listening to support their user seamlessly.
His words hint at a radical shift from standalone gadgets to a networked ecosystem of AI companions embedded in everyday life. "Over the coming months, you're going to see incredible velocity coming from us," Wang promised, signaling that Meta’s hardware efforts could accelerate soon.
What This Means for Meta and the Market
Meta’s move to build a dedicated hardware team within its AI division shows the company’s commitment to expanding its footprint in the fast-evolving AI device market. While Reality Labs has focused on virtual reality and smart glasses, this new team could be working on devices that blend AI capabilities with new form factors and use cases.
Hiring an industry veteran like Rui Xu suggests Meta wants to hit the ground running with expertise in shipping consumer tech at scale — a challenge that has tripped up many startups despite the hype around AI.
Still, the AI hardware market is crowded and competitive. Meta will need to innovate quickly to stand out against rivals like Apple, Google, and emerging AI-focused startups. The company’s success could hinge on delivering devices that truly integrate AI agents seamlessly into daily life — a goal that remains elusive for many.
And it’s not just about hardware. The software and AI models running on these devices will need to be powerful and privacy-conscious to win user trust. Meta’s dual approach, leveraging Reality Labs’ hardware know-how and MSL’s AI research, could prove a winning combination — if the pieces come together in time.
Meta’s stealthy build-out of an AI hardware team led by Rui Xu marks a new chapter in the company’s AI ambitions. As the tech giant races to create the next wave of personal AI devices, investors and industry watchers will be watching closely to see if Meta can turn its vision of an AI-powered "constellation" of devices into reality.
