Meta Platforms has postponed the release of its highly anticipated large language model (LLM), codenamed “Behemoth,” amid growing internal concerns about its performance and readiness, according to a recent report by the Wall Street Journal. Originally slated for an April debut to coincide with Meta’s inaugural AI developer conference, the release has now been pushed back to fall or potentially even later.
Citing sources familiar with the matter, the Journal reports that Meta engineers are facing challenges in significantly improving Behemoth’s capabilities over previous models. These struggles have sparked internal debates over whether the advancements are substantial enough to justify a public launch. While Meta had initially hoped Behemoth would showcase the company’s AI leadership and compete with leading models from rivals such as OpenAI and Google, the current version reportedly falls short of those expectations.
Behemoth is part of Meta’s ongoing effort to develop frontier AI technologies that can power a range of applications, from content moderation and customer service bots to advanced creative tools. Its release was supposed to be a major milestone in Meta’s broader strategy to position itself at the forefront of AI innovation, especially as competition heats up in the generative AI space.
The delay underscores the difficulties even well-resourced tech giants face when attempting to build cutting-edge AI models that are both powerful and responsible. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has previously emphasized the importance of open science and collaboration in AI development, but Behemoth’s setbacks suggest that even transparency and scale don’t guarantee rapid breakthroughs.
In the meantime, Meta continues to invest heavily in its AI infrastructure, including custom chips and expanded data centers, to support future models. While a revised release date for Behemoth has yet to be confirmed, the delay indicates that Meta is taking a more cautious approach, likely to avoid launching a product that fails to meet performance or safety expectations.
As the AI arms race intensifies, all eyes will be on Meta to see if Behemoth can eventually live up to its name.
