Meta Appoints New Head of AI Research Lab
Meta has appointed Robert Fergus to lead its Fundamental AI Research (FAIR) lab. Fergus joins Meta from Google DeepMind, where he served as a research director for five years, according to his LinkedIn profile. He previously worked as a research scientist at Meta.
This leadership change comes after reported challenges and staff departures at FAIR, as detailed in a recent Fortune article. FAIR, established in 2013, played a crucial role in developing Meta's early AI models, including Llama 1 and Llama 2.
However, the lab has seen researchers leave for other opportunities, including startups, other companies, and even Meta's newer Generative AI group responsible for Llama 4.
Fergus's appointment follows the departure of Joelle Pineau, Meta's former VP of AI Research, who announced her exit in April to pursue a new opportunity.
This leadership transition marks a significant development for Meta's AI research efforts. With Fergus at the helm, FAIR is poised to navigate new challenges and continue its contributions to the field of artificial intelligence.
