Meta AI Behemoth Might Face Shutdown, Open-Source Model at Risk

Meta is rethinking its AI strategy. As per a recent report by the New York Times, the tech company’s superintelligence lab is discussing whether to stop developing its most powerful AI, called Behemoth, and instead shift to building a closed model. The talks are being led by Chief AI Officer Alexandr Wang, though official discussion has not been made. If approved by CEO Mark Zuckerberg, it could create a major shift from Meta’s long-standing open-source approach.

Zuckerberg Vs. LeCun

Inside Meta, there’s a divide forming over how the company should create AI ahead. Mark Zuckerberg has invested $14.3 billion into developing a superintelligence system through the new lab, and Chief AI Assistant Yann LeCun holds a more cautious view. LeCun believes AI is still far from human-level intelligence, and prefers an open approach where researchers and developers everywhere can build on the same tools. He also thinks AI should learn more like humans by observing the world, not just reading texts, as most current models do. 

Behemoth Faces Delays and Performance Issues 

Behemoth was originally said to launch in April 2025, but its release was delayed until fall or possibly later because of some disappointing test results. Although Meta has said that the model can outperform its competitors like OpenAI and Google, the internal report suggests that it has not shown meaningful progress over gold models like Llama.  The delays have caused a lot of tension within the company, and there are talks of reshuffling leadership in the teams working on these projects. 

Open Source Models Gaining Ground 

At the same time, smaller companies are proving that open source AI can still compete. A new model from DeepSeek called V3-0324 has been praised for being both powerful and efficient. It performs very well in tasks and operates on cheaper hardware, making it more accessible for users. This success has raised questions about whether Meta’s shift to a closed model is the right move. 

Meta is pushing big investments in AI, including a massive data centre called Hyperion and a powerful computing cluster named Prometheus set up to be live in 2026.

Stay informed. Stay inspired. Subscribe to Inspirepreneur Magazine’s Newsletter for the latest developments on global conflicts, leadership insights, and strategic innovations shaping tomorrow’s world.