Yann LeCun, Meta’s chief AI scientist and one of the most influential figures in artificial intelligence, is reportedly preparing to leave the company to launch his own startup, according to the Financial Times. Sources familiar with the matter said LeCun has already begun discussions with potential investors and plans to continue his research into world models, a type of AI system designed to simulate and understand real-world dynamics.
LeCun, who is also a professor at New York University and a recipient of the 2018 A.M. Turing Award, joined Meta (then Facebook) in 2013 to lead its Fundamental AI Research Lab (FAIR). His upcoming departure would mark the exit of one of the company’s key AI architects at a time when Meta is restructuring its artificial intelligence operations to keep pace with competitors such as OpenAI, Google DeepMind, and Anthropic.
World models — the concept at the core of LeCun’s planned venture — aim to enable AI systems to build internal representations of the world so they can predict cause-and-effect relationships and reason through simulated environments. The approach contrasts with today’s large language models, which primarily generate responses based on patterns in text data. Companies such as Google DeepMind and World Labs are also developing similar frameworks, viewing them as a path toward more generalized and adaptive AI.
The report comes as Meta undergoes a significant overhaul of its AI divisions. The company recently formed a new group called Meta Superintelligence Labs (MSL), led by Alexandr Wang, CEO of data-labeling firm Scale AI, in which Meta invested $14.3 billion earlier this year. The reorganization included the hiring of more than 50 engineers and researchers from rival AI firms, but insiders have described growing tensions within Meta’s AI ranks, citing overlapping priorities and frustration among new recruits facing corporate bureaucracy.
LeCun’s FAIR team, which focuses on long-term foundational research, has reportedly been overshadowed by MSL’s push toward commercial-ready generative AI products following the company’s struggles to keep its Llama 4 models competitive with rivals’ offerings.
LeCun has frequently expressed skepticism about the current direction of the AI industry, criticizing what he sees as hype surrounding large language models (LLMs). In a recent social media post, he wrote, “It seems to me that before ‘urgently figuring out how to control AI systems much smarter than us,’ we need to have the beginning of a hint of a design for a system smarter than a house cat.”
His upcoming move would follow a broader trend of senior AI researchers leaving major tech companies to pursue independent ventures amid a surge of private investment in foundational AI technologies.
Featured image credits: Wikimedia Commons
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