🧠 Is Meta Breaking Up With Open-Source AI?

🔐 A new elite AI team is pushing for closed models instead.

🧬 Meta’s open-source DNA is being rewritten—with big consequences.

🤖 The goal? Build superintelligence that surpasses human cognition.

💥 Internal tension is growing as Meta reshuffles its AI org.

/⚡ Meta’s flagship open-source AI model, Behemoth, may never launch.

• Who: Meta Platforms, CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Chief AI Officer Alexandr Wang

• What: Possible pivot from open-source AI models to closed ones

• When: Internal discussions held in recent weeks

• Where: Meta Superintelligence Labs HQ, operating separate from Meta’s core AI team

• Why: Underperformance of the open-source Behemoth model + rising competitive pressure in AI

Meta was once the Robin Hood of AI—giving away cutting-edge models while rivals kept theirs locked behind velvet ropes.

Developers loved it. Competitors used it.

And it gave Meta a seat at the cool kids' table in the AI ethics conversation.

But now? Things are shifting.

Earlier this year, Meta went full Tony Stark and launched a secretive internal skunkworks project called Meta Superintelligence Labs.

At the helm: Alexandr Wang—a 28-year-old tech prodigy and founder of Scale AI, recruited after a casual $14.3 billion deal. Now, he’s working elbow-to-elbow with Zuck.

Their mission, in Wang’s own words:

(Chills, right?)

But there's a catch: They might not be sharing anything they build.

Meta’s internal open-source model, Behemoth, was supposed to be the next frontier.

But according to insiders?

It underwhelmed. Quietly shelved. Never released. 👀

Instead of doubling down on fixing it, execs are reportedly considering a pivot to closed models—which is a big deal for a company that built its AI rep on openness.

For years, Meta’s top AI voices—like legend Yann LeCun—argued that transparency and open access were essential for responsible AI.

But Zuckerberg’s tune has changed. In a podcast interview, he noted:

Translation: “We love openness... but we also love winning.” 🏆

Meta’s new AI structure has created a clear division:

• ✅ Elite team building superintelligence, operating from a siloed HQ

• 🚫 Legacy AI staff feeling excluded, underutilized, and—frankly—on edge

💼 With the next stock vesting period in August, whispers of a brain drain are growing louder.

Old AI leadership has already been sidelined. The message is clear:

This is not the same Meta AI team you remember.

Right now, Meta’s playing it coy.

They haven’t officially closed the door on open-source. But between Behemoth’s struggles and the rise of ultra-competitive, closed systems from OpenAI and Google...

Zuck may be less interested in community points and more interested in global AI dominance.

This isn’t just a tech pivot. It’s a rebranding of Meta’s identity in AI.

Meta’s internal strategy shift has huge implications for AI developers, startups, researchers, and policymakers. Here’s what you can do in light of this shift:

🛠️ Playbook for Navigating Meta’s AI Pivot

• 🔍 Watch Meta’s next model closely. If it’s closed-source, that’s your signal: Meta’s fully pivoted.

• 💬 Engage in open-source communities. Contribute to and support alternatives like Hugging Face, EleutherAI, or Mistral.

• 🧠 Rethink AI dependencies. If your stack heavily relies on Meta’s open-source tools, start diversifying now.

• 📈 Follow the talent. The next wave of AI innovation may come from ex-Meta engineers starting fresh.

• 🧑‍⚖️ Push for policy clarity. If you're in academia, law, or governance—join the debate about transparency vs. performance in AI.

• 🚀 Explore new models. If Meta closes its models, demand will spike for independent or collaborative alternatives. Opportunity awaits.

At Think Ahead With AI (TAWAI), we believe the future belongs to those who are not only tech-literate—but ethically courageous, globally minded, and relentlessly forward-thinking.

To shape this future, we're launching the Young Global Leaders Lab:

A bold new program designed to equip the next generation with the mindset, tools, and collaborative networks to lead in an AI-driven world.

We’re not just reacting to change. We’re building the architects of it.

This is the start of a global journey—uniting youth innovators, policy shapers, and technologists under one mission:

To think ahead. Lead responsibly. And shape the future—together.

1. LLaMA (Large Language Model Meta AI)

   • 🏢 Creator: Meta

   • 📖 Type: Open-source (for research use)

   • 🧠 A family of language models that helped Meta gain traction in the AI space. It’s been widely used as a base for many third-party models—though its future openness is now uncertain.

2. Hugging Face Transformers

   • 🧪 Platform: Hugging Face

   • 🌍 Type: Open-source ecosystem

   • 🤝 Offers thousands of models (including Meta’s LLaMA) for NLP, vision, and more. The go-to place for collaborative AI development—especially if Meta shifts away from open releases.

3. Mistral AI

   • 🇫🇷 Origin: France

   • 🔓 Type: Open-weight, high-performance LLMs

   • 🦾 A rising competitor in the open-source scene. Their models are high quality, permissively licensed, and ideal for those seeking alternatives to Meta or OpenAI.

4. EleutherAI

   • 🌐 Community: Decentralized, research-focused

   • 📘 Type: Open-source models like GPT-NeoX and Pythia

   • 🧠 Built to keep frontier AI open and transparent. A great option if you value research-grade models not locked behind corporate firewalls.

5. Scale AI

   • 🧑‍🔬 Founder: Alexandr Wang (now Meta’s Chief AI Officer)

   • 🛠️ Type: Closed platform focused on AI data labeling and infrastructure

   • 🧩 Essential for companies building proprietary AI—this is where Meta's new leadership originates, signaling a push toward more control and less openness.

1. Want ChatGPT as your personal tutor? Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang may have the hack

2. Nvidia CEO claims US approval for H20 AI chip shipments to China; Sales to resume after ban

3. AI is Killing the 5-Year IT Project

4. Deepfakes and AI: Navigating truth in a digital age

Join Our Elite Community For Comprehensive AI Mastery

🚀 Welcome to TAWAI ‘Generative AI In A Box’ Membership! 🌐🤖

Embark on an exhilarating journey into the transformative world of Artificial Intelligence (AI) with our cutting-edge membership. Experience the power of AI as it revolutionizes industries, enhances efficiency, and drives innovation.

Our membership offers structured learning through the Generative AI Program and immerses you in a community that keeps you updated on the latest AI trends. With access to curated resources, case studies, and real-world applications, TAWAI empowers you to master AI and become a pioneer in this technological revolution.

Embrace the future of AI with the TAWAI ‘Generative AI In A Box’ Membership and be at the forefront of innovation. 🌟🤖

Sanjukta Chakrabortty
Gen. AI Explorer