GoKawiilShe built AI for some of the biggest companies in the world. Then she decided restaurants needed it more.
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Key Takeaways Maria Zhang saw firsthand how AI could power recommendations, matching and personalization at companies like Tinder and Meta.
Restaurants have opportunities hiding in plain sight. They just need to find the right AI tools to help with catering, answering calls and supporting staff in an effective way.
Zhang sees AI as a way to handle repetitive work without distracting employees from the guests in front of them.
When TikTok exploded, Instagram had a problem. Short-form video was changing how people consumed content, and Instagram needed an answer.
Maria Zhang, now CEO of Palona AI, was part of the team working through that challenge.
“It was quite intense,” Zhang says. “TikTok just went wild.”
Zhang joined Facebook, now Meta, as vice president of engineering at Instagram. During her time there, the platform faced fierce competition from TikTok and launched Reels.
“It wasn’t a straight shot,” Zhang says. “We definitely iterated a ton and made tough decisions along the way.”
... continue reading