I=9
Meta Plans to release Llama’s successor in Q1 2026 but its strategy is causing internal confusion, CNBC reported citing company insiders
- Meta plans to release its frontier AI model code-named Avocado in Q1 2026, which will replace its Llama model, CNBC reported.
- However, according to company insiders many within the company were expecting the model to be released at the end of 2025 but Meta decided to release it in Q1 2026.
- The insiders added that Meta’s strategy remains scattershot.
- The insiders said the model is wresting with training-related tests to ensure it’s received well.
- A Meta spokesperson told CNBC that the “training efforts are going according to the plan and have had no meaningful timing changes”.
Assessment
Meta Platforms shares are down about 1.5% today. The move may partly reflect investor concern about a potential delay or internal uncertainty.
For me, the update is mildly positive because we now know Meta is targeting a Q1 2026 launch for Avocado, and the shift from late 2025 represents only about a one-quarter delay. Considering that this update comes roughly four months after the launch of the Meta Superintelligence Lab, the revised timing doesn’t appear alarming.
Additionally, based on earlier reports suggesting Meta might temporarily rely on third-party AI models, I had expected that Meta’s next frontier model could take longer to arrive. In that sense, receiving a defined Q1 2026 target actually provides more clarity and reduces the risk of an extended delay.