Tech AI godfather says Meta's new 29-year-old AI boss is 'inexperienced' (www.cnbc.com)

Yann Lecun, Meta's former chief AI scientist, has publicly criticized the company's decision to appoint 29-year-old Alexander Wang, a billionaire co-founder of Scale AI, as its chief AI officer. Lecun described Wang as "inexperienced," particularly noting his lack of research background and understanding of what attracts or repels researchers. His comments come at a time when Meta is under pressure to build advanced AI models amid fierce competition for talent and accusations of the company gaming benchmarks, which have led to a significant confidence crisis within its AI division. Lecun warns that this lack of experience could trigger a staff exodus, further destabilizing Meta's AI research efforts. The significance of Lecun's critique lies in its implications for Meta's strategic direction in AI. As the company attempts to dominate the multibillion-dollar AI market, Lecun emphasized that the focus on "safe and proved" methods over innovative ideas could hinder progress. He raises concerns about the current state of Large Language Models (LLMs), labeling them as a "dead end" for achieving superintelligence. With Lecun now spearheading his own startup focused on "world models," which learn from various data types, he suggests that future advancements in AI will require a broader approach beyond the limitations of current LLMs, underscoring crucial challenges ahead for Meta and the AI community at large.