Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is determined to reduce his company’s dependence on Apple, marking a significant shift in Meta’s strategy and vision. In a recent interview with Bloomberg, Zuckerberg shared his new approach while wakesurfing at his Lake Tahoe residence in California. This effort to revamp his public persona reflects his broader ambition to transform the $1.3 trillion social media giant he leads.

In recent years, Zuckerberg has focused on transforming Meta from just a social media company to a leader in artificial intelligence (AI) and the metaverse. The name change from Facebook to Meta in 2021 was a clear sign of this shift. However, Zuckerberg has recently placed more emphasis on AI development than the metaverse. Meta is now competing with industry giants such as Alphabet’s Google and Microsoft-backed OpenAI to develop advanced AI models.

Meta’s AI strategy includes the bold move of open-sourcing its most powerful AI technology, Llama. This approach allows developers to use Llama to build chatbots and train AI models for free. Zuckerberg believes this open-source model will establish Meta as a counterbalance to companies that lock customers into proprietary software.

Zuckerberg’s strategy is inspired by lessons learned from the mobile era, particularly Google’s success with its open-source Android software. He acknowledges the constraints and financial implications of relying on mobile platforms such as Apple’s iOS, which he claims stifles creativity. Zuckerberg’s goal is to control the next generation of technology platforms, including operating systems for virtual reality headsets, smart glasses and AI assistants.

“All the analysis we did showed that if there weren’t all these irregular taxes or regulations imposed on us by the mobile platforms, we would have been more profitable, our business would have been bigger,” he said.

“But honestly it’s not a big deal that bothers me. It’s more about how we’re limiting our creativity to build the best things we can imagine,” he adds. “It’s somewhat soul-crushing to build something that you think is going to be great and then have Apple tell you that you can’t ship it because they want to put us in a box because they see us as a competitor,” he added.

Meta’s large investment in AI comes amid skepticism about the metaverse and concerns that existing AI investments may not yield immediate benefits. Although Zuckerberg sees this as a necessary risk, he believes it is vital to stay at the forefront of AI technology for the next 10 to 15 years.