Meta's Superintelligence Lab May Kill Open-Source AI In Bold Strategy Shake-Up: Report

Meta Platforms Inc. META is reportedly considering a major shift in its artificial intelligence (AI) strategy, including the potential abandonment of its open-source AI model, Behemoth.

What Happened: The newly formed Superintelligence Lab at Meta, led by 28-year-old Alexandr Wang, the company’s new Chief AI Officer, is contemplating a shift from the open-source Behemoth model to a closed model, reported The New York Times. The lab’s discussions are in the early stages, and decisions are yet to be made. However, any changes would require approval from Meta’s CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, the report said.

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Meta’s open-source AI models have been a cornerstone of its AI strategy, with the company arguing that open-sourcing the technology would accelerate AI development and make it more accessible to developers. Moving to a closed A.I. model would represent a major philosophical shift for the company.

The potential shift comes after Meta faced challenges with the Behemoth model’s internal performance, leading to a delay in its release. Despite these challenges, Meta may continue supporting its open-source AI models while ultimately prioritizing a closed system.

Wang recently hosted a Q&A with Meta's AI staff, where he stated that although his team's work would remain private, the entire AI division would now be dedicated to building superintelligence. However, he did not clarify whether the A.I. models would be open or closed.

Meta did not immediately respond to Benzinga’s request for comment.

Why It Matters: This news comes on the heels of Meta’s aggressive push towards AI development. In a recent announcement, Zuckerberg confirmed that the company would invest hundreds of billions to build massive AI clusters in pursuit of superintelligence.

Earlier, Meta had embarked on a massive recruitment drive, offering multimillion-dollar packages to assemble an elite AI team for its superintelligence labs. The company even poached talent from other tech giants like OpenAI and Apple Inc. AAPL with remuneration packages that outstripped those of Fortune 500 CEOs and professional sports stars.

Furthermore, Meta expanded its AI talent pool by acquiring PlayAI, an AI startup focused on natural-sounding voice technology. The entire PlayAI team joined Meta, further bolstering its AI capabilities.

With these moves, Meta strives to remain competitive in the AI race against rivals such as Google GOOG GOOGL, OpenAI, and Anthropic. The company’s ultimate goal is to create a “superintelligent” AI, which would hypothetically surpass human cognitive abilities.

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