Meta Platforms(US:META) Feng Huang Wang·2025-11-11 13:42Core Insights - Meta's Chief AI Scientist Yann LeCun plans to leave the company to start his own venture, impacting Meta's stock price which fell over 1% in pre-market trading [1] - LeCun's departure coincides with CEO Mark Zuckerberg's strategic shift in AI, moving focus from long-term research to faster deployment of AI models and products [1][2] - LeCun, a Turing Award winner, has led Meta's Fundamental AI Research lab (FAIR) since 2013 and is known for his foundational contributions to modern AI [1] Company Developments - Zuckerberg has established a new elite group called "TBD Lab" to focus on next-generation large language models, attracting top talent from competitors with salaries up to $100 million [2] - LeCun's reporting structure changed to report to Alexandr Wang, CEO of Scale AI, instead of directly to Chief Product Officer Chris Cox [2] - Meta's recent AI model, Llama 4, underperformed compared to competitors, leading to a strategic pivot in AI development [2] Financial Implications - Meta's significant investment in AI, including a $14.3 billion investment in Scale AI, has raised concerns among investors, especially with projected AI spending exceeding $100 billion next year [3] - Following the announcement of high AI expenditures, Meta's stock price has dropped nearly 15% [3] - The company has also faced internal dissatisfaction from existing employees due to high salaries offered to new AI talent [3]