Meta taps former Google DeepMind director to lead its AI research lab

Group 1 - Meta has appointed Robert Fergus as the new head of its Fundamental AI Research (FAIR) lab, previously serving as a research director at Google DeepMind for nearly five years [1] - FAIR has been operational since 2013 and has encountered challenges in recent years, with a significant number of researchers leaving for other startups and Meta's newer GenAI group [2] - The unit was responsible for early AI models such as Llama 1 and Llama 2, but has seen a talent drain, including the departure of former VP of AI Research, Joelle Pineau, who announced her exit in April for a new opportunity [2]