Former Meta Scientist Says Mark Zuckerberg's New AI Chief Is 'Young' And 'Inexperienced'—Warns 'Lot Of People' Who Haven't Yet Left Meta 'Will Leave'
Yann LeCun, a former Meta scientist, criticized the appointment of Alexandr Wang as Meta's new AI chief, labeling him as 'young' and 'inexperienced.' LeCun expressed concerns over Wang's understanding of elite AI research dynamics and warned that many employees may leave Meta following the company's $14 billion investment in AI, especially after setbacks with the Llama model. Despite this, Meta is intensifying its AI efforts, including acquiring Manus AI. Meta's stock has seen a slight increase, but analysts maintain a bearish outlook in the long term.
Former Meta scientist and AI pioneer Yann LeCun has openly questioned Meta Platforms Inc.'s (NASDAQ:META) AI leadership overhaul.
LeCun Questions Wang's Research Credentials
In an interview with the Financial Times published on Friday, LeCun described Wang, 28, as "young" and "inexperienced," arguing that the Scale AI co-founder lacks a deep understanding of how elite AI research teams operate.
LeCun said Alexandr Wang is intelligent and learns quickly, but does not yet grasp what attracts — or alienates — top researchers.
He added that while Wang briefly became his boss following Meta's AI reorganization, he was not actively directing his work. He noted that people usually should not tell senior scientists like him how to conduct their work.
Meta did not immediately respond to Benzinga's request for comments.
See Also: Meta Resets AI, Hardware Plans As ‘Avocado' Delays, Leadership Turmoil, Cost Cuts Mount
Meta's $14 Billion AI Bet And Llama Fallout
Wang's appointment followed Meta's $14 billion investment in Scale AI, part of Mark Zuckerberg's aggressive push to regain momentum in the AI race.
LeCun said the move came after Zuckerberg grew frustrated with slow progress on Meta's flagship open-source model, Llama.
According to LeCun, internal confidence eroded after Meta was criticized for allegedly overstating benchmark results tied to Llama 4. He said the controversy angered Zuckerberg and led him to sideline much of Meta's existing generative AI organization.
He said that "a lot of people" have already left Meta and those who haven't yet "will leave."
LLMs ‘A Dead End,' LeCun Says
LeCun, who announced in November that he is leaving Meta to launch a new startup called Advanced Machine Intelligence, also reiterated his long-held belief that large language models are fundamentally limited.
He said people at Meta would like him not to call LLMs “a dead end,” but he will not change his mind just because others think he is wrong.
He said true artificial intelligence will require new architectures beyond LLMs, even if that view clashes with Meta's current priorities.
Meta Doubles Down On AI With Manus AI Acquisition
In December, Meta ramped up its AI push by acquiring Manus AI, a fast-rising Chinese startup specializing in autonomous agents.
The Manus deal adds to Meta's broader AI push this year, following its investment in Scale AI that valued the data-labeling company at $29 billion and pulled Wang into Meta's leadership circle.
Price Action: In the past 12 months, Meta shares have been up 3.21%, according to Benzinga Pro.
Meta carries a consensus price target of $831.64 based on ratings from 38 analysts. The three latest ratings — from Rosenblatt, Baird and Wedbush imply an average price target of $937.33, suggesting roughly 44.2% upside from current levels.
Benzinga Edge Stock Rankings indicate that Meta carries a bearish medium and long-term outlook, even as its stock continues to show a positive trend in the short term. Click here to see how it compares with peers.
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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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