Yann LeCun, one of the world’s leading artificial intelligence researchers, has confirmed that he is leaving Meta to start his own AI company. LeCun, often called the “godfather of AI,” has spent 12 years at Meta, first as the founding director of FAIR (Facebook AI Research) and later as the company’s Chief AI Scientist.
LeCun said that his new startup will focus on Advanced Machine Intelligence (AMI, a type of AI designed to truly understand the world, remember information over long periods, reason through complex situations, and plan multi-step actions. Unlike most current AI systems, which excel at predicting text or generating content, LeCun wants machines that can think and learn in a more human-like, problem-solving way.
Although LeCun is leaving his full-time role at Meta, he emphasized that Meta will remain a partner in his new venture. Some of his company’s research may align with Meta’s commercial projects, while other work will remain purely experimental and exploratory.
LeCun has often criticized the current hype around large language models, saying they are powerful but limited. He believes real breakthroughs in AI will come from models that combine learning with reasoning and understanding.
LeCun thanked Meta executives, including Mark Zuckerberg, Andrew Bosworth, Chris Cox, and Mike Schroepfer, for their support and collaboration over the years.
His departure comes at a time when Meta is reorganizing its AI efforts under a new division called Superintelligence Labs, now led by Alexandr Wang.
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