Meta's top AI scientist Yann LeCun is leaving for a startup

Technology Nov 15, 2025

Yann LeCun, Meta's Chief AI Scientist and a big name in the field, is planning to leave the company.
He's been openly critical of the limitations of large language models, saying they fall short of true human reasoning.
LeCun also worries about tech giants having too much control over AI.
His exit has raised concerns about the future direction of AI at Meta.

From French student to deep learning legend

LeCun started out studying engineering in France and later earned his PhD in computer science.
He helped pioneer convolutional neural networks, changing how computers "see" images.
After teaching at NYU and founding its Center for Data Science, he joined Meta in 2013 and became a key force behind Facebook's AI research—earning the 2018 Turing Award along the way.