• by Colin Kirkland , April 1, 2025

As artificial intelligence becomes a major focus for Meta, the technology giant’s Vice President of AI Research Joelle Pineau says she is planning to leave the company at the end of May.

“Today, as the world undergoes significant change, as the race for AI accelerates, and as Meta prepares for its next chapter, it is time to create space for others to pursue the work,” Pineau announced in a Facebook post on Tuesday. 

For over two years, Pineau oversaw Meta’s Fundamental AI Research (FAIR) lab, which is tasked with conducting research and making scientific discoveries that will eventually be applied to Meta’s AI-powered products. 

Under Pineau’s oversight, the FAIR lab, which consists of about 1,000 people across 10 locations, has been responsible for Meta’s Llama models that power Meta AI for billions of users. 

In October, Pineau told The Financial Times that there were still “a ton of open research problems” in FAIR, as well as questions on the product, regulation and ethical side, including how society will safely utilize AI as the technology advances. 

Meta is determined to enhance its focus on AI development, with the company planning to spend $65 billion on AI infrastructure in 2025. 

The company does not have an immediate replacement for Pineau, who will leave Meta on May 30th.