Renowned AI expert Yann LeCun, a key figure at Meta, has revealed plans to depart the organization after a 12-year tenure and launch an independent AI venture. Serving also as a faculty member at New York University, LeCun first came on board in 2013 to direct the Fundamental AI Research (FAIR) division and eventually advanced to the position of Chief AI Scientist.
In his announcement, LeCun explained that the venture will extend the Advanced Machine Intelligence (AMI) initiative he has developed in recent years alongside collaborators from FAIR, NYU, and other institutions, while maintaining a collaborative relationship with Meta. He shared on Threads that the enterprise aims to drive a major breakthrough in artificial intelligence through creations capable of comprehending the real world, retaining long-term memory, performing logical deductions, and orchestrating intricate series of actions. LeCun noted that AMI holds potential for widespread use across various industries, including areas that align with Meta's business areas and others that extend beyond them, allowing an autonomous setup to amplify its overall influence.
Rumors regarding LeCun's prospects within Meta have intensified lately. This year, the firm poured almost $15 billion into Scale AI and appointed its 28-year-old leader, Alexandr Wang, as Chief AI Officer. Additionally, Meta brought on Shengjia Zhao, a contributor to the development of GPT-4, to serve as Chief AI Scientist in the recently established Meta Superintelligence Labs division.
In contrast to these moves, LeCun has expressed doubts about the value of large language models (LLMs). During a 2023 episode of the Big Technology podcast, he stated that achieving artificial intelligence on par with human capabilities won't result from merely expanding LLMs. Furthermore, at a recent industry event, he urged young scientists to steer clear of LLM projects entirely, as covered by The Wall Street Journal.
Meanwhile, Meta has undergone significant changes in its artificial intelligence divisions. Last month, it eliminated hundreds of positions in the Superintelligence team, affecting personnel in FAIR as well. Reports from Bloomberg indicate that LeCun struggled to secure funding for his initiatives as Meta prioritized developing competitive models to counter pressing challenges from competitors such as OpenAI, Google's parent Alphabet Inc., and Anthropic.
LeCun plans to remain with Meta through the year's end. He expressed deep appreciation to Mark Zuckerberg, Andrew Bosworth (known as Boz), Chris Cox, and Mike Schroepfer for backing FAIR and the AMI efforts in recent times.