Meta’s Yann LeCun Explains Role After New AI Chief Hire
▼ Summary
– Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that Shengjia Zhao, former OpenAI lead scientist and ChatGPT co-creator, is now chief scientist at Meta’s Superintelligence Labs.
– Zhao will set the research agenda for the new lab, working directly with Zuckerberg and Meta’s chief AI officer, Alex.
– Yann LeCun, Meta’s chief AI scientist for FAIR, clarified his role remains unchanged, focusing on long-term AI research and new paradigms.
– Meta’s FAIR and Superintelligence Labs differ, with FAIR advancing AI technology (like Llama) and the latter aiming to develop “personal superintelligence for everyone.”
– Alexandr Wang praised Zhao as a “brilliant scientist” who will lead the scientific direction for Meta’s AI team.
Meta continues strengthening its AI leadership team with the appointment of Shengjia Zhao as chief scientist for its Superintelligence Labs, while clarifying Yann LeCun’s ongoing role in fundamental research. The social media giant’s latest high-profile hire signals its aggressive push into advanced artificial intelligence development.
Mark Zuckerberg personally announced Zhao’s appointment through his Threads account, emphasizing the former OpenAI lead scientist’s role in shaping research direction alongside Meta’s leadership. “Shengjia co-founded this lab and has been our lead scientist from day one,” Zuckerberg stated, noting the team’s rapid growth as justification for formalizing Zhao’s position.
The announcement sparked immediate questions about Yann LeCun’s position, given his decade-long tenure as Meta’s chief AI scientist. LeCun quickly addressed these concerns on LinkedIn, stating: “My role as Chief Scientist for FAIR remains focused on long-term AI research and developing next-generation AI paradigms.” Both Zuckerberg and new Chief AI Officer Alexandr Wang confirmed LeCun’s unchanged responsibilities through their social media channels.
The distinction between Meta’s research divisions became clearer with this announcement. FAIR (Fundamental AI Research), established over ten years ago, concentrates on foundational advancements like LeCun’s work on world models that could eventually surpass current large language models. The newer Superintelligence Labs serves as an overarching division combining FAIR with product teams, targeting Zuckerberg’s vision of “personal superintelligence for everyone.”
Wang publicly endorsed Zhao’s appointment, calling him “a brilliant scientist who pioneered new scaling paradigms in his recent research.” LeCun expressed enthusiasm about collaborating with Zhao to incorporate cutting-edge research into Meta’s most sophisticated AI systems. This dual-track approach allows Meta to simultaneously pursue both immediate product development and long-term technological breakthroughs.
The move represents another strategic play in the intensifying competition for top AI talent among tech giants. By maintaining separate but complementary research tracks under unified leadership, Meta aims to balance innovation with practical implementation across its platforms and services.
(Source: Business Insider)
