Meta Restructures AI Teams to Accelerate Product Rollout
Meta has announced a significant restructuring of its AI teams to speed up the development and rollout of new AI products and features, as reported by Axios. This comes as the company faces intense competition in the AI space from rivals like OpenAI, Google, and Chinese companies such as ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok.
AI Teams Divided into Two Units for Greater Focus
According to Axios, Meta’s Chief Product Officer Chris Cox announced a new organizational structure for the company’s AI division.
The restructuring creates two main teams: the AI Products team, led by Connor Hayes, which will focus on Meta’s AI assistant, AI Studio, and AI features across Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp; and the AGI Foundations unit, co-led by Ahmad Al-Dahle and Amir Frenkel, which will drive advancements in Meta’s Llama models and core capabilities like reasoning, multimedia, and voice.
In addition, the company's FAIR (Fundamental AI Research) unit will remain independent from the new structure, though a multimedia-focused team from FAIR will be moved to the AGI Foundations team.
Speeding Up Product Development and Enhancing Flexibility
Meta's decision to split its AI efforts into smaller, more focused teams is designed to accelerate product development. The company aims to increase flexibility, give each unit more autonomy, and reduce dependency between teams while making inter-team collaborations more explicit.
This shift is part of Meta’s broader strategy to catch up in the AI race, following a similar reshuffle of its AI teams in 2023 with the goal of speeding up its AI initiatives.
Also read: Meta Delays Release of “Behemoth” AI Model Amid Performance Concerns
No Executives Departing, but Talent Challenges Persist
The restructuring does not involve any layoffs or departures of executives, although some leaders have been moved from other parts of the company. However, Meta has faced challenges with key talent departures, including employees leaving for competitors such as French AI firm Mistral, according to reports by Business Insider.
The company remains committed to strengthening its position in the AI space as it continues to innovate and compete with other global AI leaders.
