Alexandr Wang says Meta's coming AI has caught up with OpenAI's flagship model (www.businessinsider.com)

Meta's superintelligence chief, Alexandr Wang, revealed in a recent internal town hall that the company's forthcoming AI model, codenamed Watermelon, has reached a competitive level with OpenAI's flagship GPT-5.5 model, as determined by unspecified benchmark tests. Watermelon is currently in training and utilizes significantly more computational resources than its predecessor, Avocado, which suggests a marked enhancement in capability and performance. This development is crucial for Meta, as it has faced challenges in positioning its AI offerings on par with industry leaders like OpenAI and Anthropic. This news highlights the intensifying competition in the AI landscape, particularly as Meta invests heavily in talent and infrastructure, projected to spend up to $145 billion this year on chips and data centers. Wang's leadership and Meta's aggressive recruitment strategy could indicate a potential shift in the prevailing dynamics of AI model development, as they strive to close the existing performance gap with competitors. As AI technology evolves rapidly, the success of Watermelon could bolster Meta’s standing and influence within the AI/ML community.