Meta Platforms (META, Financial) is doubling down on AI — and it's bringing back one of its original architects to lead the charge. Robert Fergus, who co-founded Meta's AI research lab FAIR back in 2014, is stepping in as its new head. After nearly five years at Alphabet's (GOOG, Financial) DeepMind, Fergus is rejoining Meta to push the boundaries of robotics, audio generation, and image recognition through advanced AI models. This move comes as Joelle Pineau exits the role, setting the stage for a new phase of AI expansion at Meta.
CEO Mark Zuckerberg has made it clear: Meta is going all out with its AI plan, investing hundreds of billions of dollars in the coming years. Fergus's return signals a renewed focus on long-term AI research, even as Meta integrates AI tools across its entire ecosystem — from Facebook and Instagram to WhatsApp. Meanwhile, the recently launched MetaAI app aims to compete with other AI assistants, underscoring Meta's broader ambitions to dominate the AI landscape.
“We're working towards building human-level experiences that transform the way we interact with technology,” Fergus said in a LinkedIn post. With Meta ramping up its AI investments and FAIR under new leadership, investors are watching closely to see how these moves will shape the company's AI narrative — and whether Meta can outpace rivals like OpenAI and Alphabet.
