Meta To Reportedly Serve Up 'Mango' And 'Avocado' AI Models In 2026 To Rival Google's 'Nano Banana'

Meta Platforms Inc. (NASDAQ:META) is reportedly working on a new AI model, which will be focused on image and video processing, led by the company’s Chief AI Officer, Alexandr Wang. Focus on Image And Word Models The new AI model, “Mango,” is being developed alongside Meta’s next large language model, which is text-based, reported The Wall Street Journal on Thursday. Wang discussed these AI models during an internal company Q&A session on Thursday, along with Chris Cox, Meta’s Chief Product Officer. The models are likely to be launched in the first half of 2026. Wang also highlighted that the focus for the new text model, “Avocado,” is to enhance its coding capabilities. “Avocado” was likely to be launched by late 2025 but was pushed to 2026. The company is also in the early stages of exploring the development of ‘world models’, which are AI models that learn about their environment through visual information. Meta did not immediately respond to Benzinga‘s request for comment. See Also: Elon Musk’s SpaceX Confirms Satellite Anomaly After Debris Detected In Orbit: ‘Will Reenter The Earth’s Atmosphere And Fully Demise Within Weeks’ Meta’s move to develop a new AI model comes at a time when AI is increasingly becoming a focal point for tech companies. Earlier this year, Google Gemini’s “Nano Banana” AI image tool took the market by storm for producing high-quality AI images. Even Nvidia Corp.‘s (NASDAQ:NVDA) CEO Jensen Huang heaped praises on Google Gemini’s AI image tool. Moreover, amid huge debate on excessive AI spending, I/O Fund CEO and chief investment strategist Beth Kindig says Meta's latest earnings already show returns from its heavy AI investment, with measurable gains in ad efficiency, engagement, and monetization rather than just future promises. The company reported quarterly revenue of $51.24 billion, topping Street estimates and rising 26% year over year. The Mark Zuckerberg-led company also raised its FY25 capital expenditure guidance. Meta holds a momentum rating of 33.80% and a growth rating of 78.36%, according to Benzinga's Proprietary Edge Rankings. The Benzinga Growth metric evaluates a stock’s historical earnings and revenue expansion across multiple timeframes, prioritizing both long-term trends and recent performance. Check the detailed report here. Price Action: On a year-to-date basis, Meta stock climbed 10.88% as per data from Benzinga Pro. On Thursday, it rose 2.32% to close at $664.45. READ NEXT: Meta’s Outgoing AI Chief Yann LeCun Eyes $3.4 Billion Valuation For New Startup, In Talks For Over $500 Million Funding: Report Image via Shutterstock Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.