Alexandr Wang’s Pivotal Function in Meta’s Upcoming AI Launch

Meta is having a tough time behind the scenes, and the strain inside the corporate is beginning to present.

On the coronary heart of the drama is Meta’s massive wager on synthetic intelligence. Mark Zuckerberg has poured big cash and sources into constructing an elite AI workforce, however that workforce is now below intense scrutiny after the corporate’s current missteps. The highlight is firmly on Meta’s subsequent AI mannequin, identified internally as Avocado, which is supposed to interchange the Llama collection and assist Meta meet up with rivals.

Issues turned tense after the launch of Llama 4 earlier this yr. Inside the corporate, many felt the rollout didn’t go as deliberate. The mannequin was criticised for weak real-world efficiency and poor coding expertise, and there have been additionally allegations that a few of its take a look at outcomes have been dressed as much as look higher than they really have been. Whereas Meta didn’t publicly dwell on the criticism, staff say it triggered a wave of concern on the prime.

A lot of that strain has landed on Alexandr Wang, Meta’s chief AI officer. At simply 28, Wang leads a small however highly effective group referred to as TBD Lab, the place Avocado is being constructed. In accordance with folks acquainted with the state of affairs, Wang is now below fixed strain to ship a mannequin that may stand as much as Google, OpenAI and Anthropic, all of which have launched well-received AI merchandise in current months.

Avocado itself has reportedly hit a number of roadblocks. The mannequin continues to be fighting essential efficiency checks, and consequently, its launch has been delayed. It was earlier anticipated in 2025, however is now more likely to arrive in early 2026. For a corporation attempting to show it may possibly transfer quick in AI, that delay has not gone down properly internally.

Wang isn’t alone in feeling the warmth. Nat Friedman, the previous GitHub chief who now holds a senior function at Meta AI, can also be below strain to ship one thing folks truly wish to use. Beneath his watch, Meta launched Vibes, a stream of AI-made brief movies. Workers say it was rushed out and ended up trying far much less spectacular than comparable instruments from OpenAI, particularly when it got here to reasonable voices and facial motion.

The pressure is being felt throughout the corporate. Workers say 70-hour work weeks have develop into widespread, at the same time as Meta minimize a whole lot of jobs and reorganised groups all year long. There may be additionally rising disagreement inside Meta about how issues ought to be constructed. Some leaders wish to transfer quick and experiment extra, whereas others fear that velocity is coming at the price of high quality.

For now, Avocado has develop into a make-or-break second for Meta’s AI ambitions. If it succeeds, it may quiet the criticism. If it fails, the questions round management, route and technique are solely going to get louder.