New Delhi |As the global race in artificial intelligence intensifies, Meta has drawn up an ambitious technology roadmap for 2026. Two flagship projects being developed inside the company’s ‘Superintelligence Lab’—Mango and Avocado—are being positioned to take on advanced AI models from Google. According to details shared in internal meetings, both models are expected to be rolled out in phases during the first half of 2026.
Mango and Avocado: Defining the roles
As per the roadmap, Mango will be a high-end image and video model, designed specifically to challenge Google’s much-discussed ‘Nano Banana’ and similar multimodal systems. Its core focus will be deeper visual understanding, higher-quality content generation, and real-time analysis—capabilities aimed at creators, media platforms, and enterprise use cases.
Avocado, on the other hand, is a text-based AI system centred on coding, logical reasoning, and developer productivity. Meta believes that winning developer trust is critical to rebuilding its AI reputation, and that meaningful gains in coding performance are essential in a segment where both adoption and commercial usage are accelerating rapidly.
A major push on ‘world models’
Beyond text, images, and video, Meta is also making a significant push into ‘world models’. These systems are expected to go beyond simple pattern prediction, enabling AI to interpret visual information, plan actions, and execute decisions in dynamic environments—closer to human-like reasoning.
The long-term objective is to build AI tools capable of autonomous decision-making in areas such as simulations, robotics, gaming, and real-world operational scenarios.
Why these projects matter
While Meta’s AI assistant already reaches hundreds of millions of users through its platforms, critics argue that the company still trails OpenAI and Google in offering a standalone AI product that users actively choose. At present, most Meta AI tools are bundled as default features within social apps like Facebook and Instagram rather than existing as independent products.
Over the past year, Meta’s AI division has also seen restructuring, leadership changes, and the exit of several senior researchers. Against this backdrop, Mango and Avocado are viewed not merely as technical upgrades, but as the foundation for Meta’s future consumer products and developer tools, as well as a test of its broader AI credibility.
The investment–return dilemma
Meta is spending billions of dollars annually on AI development, yet a clear economic payoff has so far remained elusive. Moving beyond an advertising-centric business model to generate revenue from AI-driven tools and platforms is the company’s next major challenge.
Industry analysts suggest that if Mango delivers a step-change in visual AI capabilities and Avocado demonstrates clear superiority in coding and reasoning, Meta could unlock new revenue streams through enterprise contracts, developer subscriptions, and a broader API ecosystem.
Why 2026 could be decisive
Many in the industry see 2026 as a turning point for AI, when multimodal intelligence, agent-based systems, and world models are expected to move into the mainstream. In that context, the success—or failure—of Mango and Avocado will play a critical role in determining how quickly and how credibly Meta re-enters the front ranks of AI leadership.
Conclusion: For Meta, Mango and Avocado are more than just code names. They represent a test of trust, competitiveness, and monetisation. Their performance in 2026 may well decide whether Meta stands at the forefront of the next wave of artificial intelligence—or watches it from the sidelines.
