In a significant move for the artificial intelligence sector, Yann LeCun, Meta's chief scientist and a revered figure known as one of the 'godfathers of AI', has announced his departure from the tech giant.
A New Chapter in AI Development
Professor LeCun confirmed his exit via a social media post on Thursday, 20 November 2025. After a 12-year tenure at Meta, where he led the company's Fundamental AI Research (FAIR) team, he is leaving to establish his own startup.
The new company will concentrate on creating advanced AI systems designed for practical, real-world applications. This shift occurs against a backdrop of massive investment in AI from Meta and other tech firms, alongside growing concerns that the industry might be experiencing a bubble.
Skepticism Towards Current AI Trends
During his time at Meta, LeCun's work was instrumental in developing cutting-edge machine learning. However, he has frequently expressed a skeptical view of the hype surrounding large language models (LLMs), which form the basis of technologies like ChatGPT and Meta's own Llama.
He has consistently argued that the intelligence of these models is often exaggerated and that they possess significant limitations in genuinely comprehending the physical world. His new venture appears to be a direct response to these perceived shortcomings.
The Vision for Next-Generation AI
On the platform Threads, LeCun outlined his ambitious goal: to bring about the next major AI revolution. His startup will focus on building systems capable of understanding the physical world, possessing persistent memory, and demonstrating advanced reasoning and complex planning abilities.
He clarified that while Meta will be a partner to his new company and thanked executives like Mark Zuckerberg for their support, the startup's objectives will extend beyond Meta's immediate commercial interests. LeCun stated that pursuing this advanced machine intelligence within an independent entity is the best way to maximise its broad impact on the field.
