Meta launches Vibes, a short-form AI video feed

Meta is shaking up the short-form video landscape with the launch of Vibes, an AI-driven stream now built into the Meta AI app and website. The company is placing its bet on synthetic content, despite growing backlash against what critics call "AI slop" across social media.

Vibes presents a full-screen, endless feed of purely AI-generated video clips, produced by both users and Meta's own machine learning systems within the Meta AI app. Users can scroll through these clips just like TikTok or Reels, encountering a wide variety of "almost-realistic-but-not-quite-right" Uncanny Valley–esque creations prompted by random ideas. Both the app and the website constitute Meta's new hub for these AI projects, with the bottom bar also offering features for Meta's AI glasses.

Key features rolling out in Vibes:

AI-generated videos fill the feed from creators and the wider community

Personalization algorithms surface content based on user habits

Users can start from scratch or remix others' videos

Music, styles, and visual effects are customizable prior to sharing

Native sharing within the Vibes app and cross-posts to Instagram and Facebook

Editor features allow remixes—users can take any video from the feed, add visuals, adjust styles, and layer in music to make it their own. If a Vibes clip appears on Instagram, users can tap to remix it in the Meta AI app.

To power these AI videos, Meta is leveraging its AI technology with plans to enhance capabilities over time. For instance, Meta recently partnered with Midjourney to improve its video generation models, so the quality and realism of these clips are expected to increase. The company's continued investment in AI development signals its determination to compete with other major tech companies in the artificial intelligence space.

The timing is contentious. The wider industry is dealing with a surge of mass-produced, low-value AI videos. Some rivals, including YouTube, are taking steps to restrict so-called "AI slop" and prioritize authentic, human-made storytelling. Just this summer, Meta also pledged to penalize unoriginal content on its main platforms, urging creators to focus on unique narratives.

Currently, Meta is positioning Vibes as a new, central hub for its AI projects rather than heavily integrating these clips into Facebook and Instagram feeds—although the app allows easy cross-sharing. Critics, however, warn that this approach still encourages the creation and potential spread of "random AI-generated junk," making it easy for scammers and spammers to churn out content mutated from other web material in hopes of monetization. The debate continues: For many, the proliferation of AI videos raises questions about creativity, originality, and authenticity—especially since many clips can feel unsettling or derivative rather than social or genuinely artistic.

Against this backdrop, Meta's entry into fully synthetic feeds stands out. The company's personalization push for Vibes echoes broader industry moves toward algorithmic curation and deeper customization. Relatedly, Threads is building a tool that lets users tag its algorithm to tailor their feeds, offering a different spin on what Vibes aims to achieve with AI-driven recommendations.

For creators and brands, Vibes presents both risk and opportunity. The ability to instantly remix and produce novel content could lower creative barriers and speed up content production. But the glut of AI videos might make it harder for genuine creators to stand out, and could erode trust among audiences already wary of inauthentic media experiences.

This experiment also adds fuel to debates about what short-form platforms should be. As short-form continues to attract new audiences—evidenced by Facebook and TikTok's dominance in US social media consumption—Meta's latest move could draw in AI enthusiasts but alienate purists who prefer raw, personal storytelling. Even with technological improvements (like those from the Midjourney partnership), critics argue that feeds may be increasingly filled with "AI slop": random and sometimes bizarre clips, depictions of fantastical or problematic content, and scenes that could potentially spread misinformation.

Looking ahead, Vibes will be a litmus test for how much appetite users have for AI-generated entertainment. Meta's next steps likely hinge on how the broader public and creator community respond to this influx of synthetic video, and whether algorithm-driven personalization can overcome concerns about authenticity and value. While some see the potential for creativity, others question if Vibes will primarily serve as a demonstration of Meta’s generative AI prowess—rather than a platform for meaningful social connection.