Meta’s AI Research Chief Joelle Pineau Announces Departure Amid Strategic Shift
Joelle Pineau, Vice President of Artificial Intelligence Research at Meta Platforms, has announced her resignation effective May 30, after nearly eight years with the company. Pineau, who led the Fundamental AI Research (FAIR) group, played a pivotal role in advancing Meta’s AI initiatives, including the development of the open-source large language model Llama, which powers Meta’s AI chatbot.
During her tenure, Pineau’s team worked on technologies such as voice translation and image recognition, contributing significantly to Meta’s AI capabilities. Her departure comes at a time when Meta is intensifying its focus on AI, with plans to invest $60 to $65 billion this year, primarily to expand AI data centers.
Pineau’s exit follows other leadership changes at Meta, including the departures of senior executives Dan Neary and Kate Hamill. Despite her departure, Pineau will continue teaching at McGill University.
Meta’s commitment to AI remains strong, with CEO Mark Zuckerberg prioritizing AI development and aiming for Meta’s AI assistant to reach over a billion users. The company has also recruited Clara Shih, former AI head at Salesforce, to lead its new Business AI group, indicating a strategic push towards monetizing AI within enterprises.
