Meta delays Avocado AI model launch after falling behind Google, OpenAI, and Anthropic in tests
12 Sources
[1]
Meta's New AI Model Is Reportedly Delayed Again. Is 'Avocado' Toast?
Meta's Avocado isn't ripe quite yet. The company has reportedly delayed the release of its next-generation foundational model until May, according to The New York Times, citing unnamed sources. The model has fallen short "on internal tests for reasoning, coding and writing," compared with rival
[2]
Meta Delays Rollout of New A.I. Model After Performance Concerns
The tech giant pushed back the timeline after spending billions to be on the cutting edge of artificial intelligence. Mark Zuckerberg, the chief executive of Meta, said in July that his company's new artificial intelligence models would "push the frontier in the next year or so." Now Mr.
[3]
Mark Zuckerberg's Billion-Dollar Hiring Spree Doesn't Seem to Be Going So Great
The rollout of the company’s new AI model is reportedly being pushed back due to performance concerns. Despite spending billions of dollars on AI infrastructure and poaching talent from rival companies, Meta’s AI ambitions appear to have hit a snag. The New York Times reports, citing several
[4]
Meta's New AI Image Model Doing Badly in Testing, Report Says
Meta said in January that it plans to spend somewhere between $115 billion and $135 billion in the pursuit of AI superintelligence, but it's hit a snag after its newest AI model is reportedly behind rivals. The New York Times reports that Meta's new AI image and video model, codenamed 'Avocado',
[5]
Meta delays launch of AI model Avocado in latest setback
Meta $META's latest AI fruit is ripening on company time. The New York Times reported Thursday that Meta has pushed back Avocado -- the text model meant to headline CEO Mark Zuckerberg's latest and greatest AI reset -- from a planned March debut to at least May after internal testing showed it
[6]
Meta Is Delaying Its 'Superintelligent' AI Model After Performance Issues
Mark Zuckerberg has invested billions in AI, but Meta's latest model isn't keeping pace with OpenAI and Google. Mark Zuckerberg's $600 billion bet on AI isn't paying off as planned. Meta delayed the release of its new AI model to at least May. The tech fell short of rivals like OpenAI, Google, and
[7]
Meta pushes AI model 'Avocado' rollout to May or later, NYT reports - The Economic Times
Meta has postponed the release of its artificial intelligence model "Avocado" to at least May, from this month, the New York Times reported on Thursday, citing sources. The performance of Meta's new AI model currently falls between Google's AI Gemini 2.5 and Gemini 3, delaying its launch until
[8]
Meta May Delay 'Avocado' As Tech Underwhelms In Tests Against Google Gemini And Anthropic AI Models: Report - Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOG), Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL)
Meta Platforms, Inc.'s (NASDAQ:META) upcoming foundational AI model, code-named "Avocado," has reportedly underperformed compared with systems from competitors during internal evaluations. Meta's 'Avocado' AI Model Reportedly Falls Short In Internal Tests The model is designed to power future
[9]
Meta's Avocado Delay Puts $135 Billion AI Bet Under Scrutiny | PYMNTS.com
The delay follows internal testing that showed the model trailing leading systems from Google, OpenAI and Anthropic in key areas, including logical reasoning, programming and writing, the report said. Avocado outperformed Meta's previous generation models and some earlier competing systems, The
[10]
Meta delays release of new AI, weighs licensing Google's Gemini...
Mark Zuckerberg's Meta is reportedly delaying the release of its next artificial intelligence model at least about two months after internal tests showed the tech falling short of rival models from Google, OpenAI and Anthropic. The leaders of Meta's AI division are considering temporarily
[11]
Meta Pushes Back Avocado AI Launch, Licenses Gemini Tech
Avocado has faced multiple delays over the past few years. Meta insiders initially expected the model before the end of 2025, but it slipped to the first quarter of 2026 amid training and performance-testing challenges, as CNBC first . Bloomberg reported around the same time that Avocado was
[12]
Meta delays Avocado AI model launch amid performance concerns: Report
CEO Mark Zuckerberg has reaffirmed Meta's aggressive AI push, including $115-$135 billion in planned infrastructure investments. Meta has reportedly pushed back the launch of its upcoming AI model, codenamed Avocado. This comes after the New York Times report, citing sources, stated that this
Share
Copy Link
Meta has postponed its next-generation AI model Avocado until at least May after it underperformed rival models from Google, OpenAI, and Anthropic in internal testing. Despite spending between $115 billion and $135 billion on AI development this year, the company's flagship model fell short on reasoning, coding, and writing benchmarks, forcing a delay from its planned March release.
Meta AI Model Avocado Faces Another Setback
Meta has delayed the release of its next-generation AI model, code-named Avocado, until at least May after the system failed to match the performance of rival models from Google, OpenAI, and Anthropic in internal testing
1
2
. The AI model delay represents a significant setback for Meta's AI ambitions, particularly after CEO Mark Zuckerberg promised in July that the company's new models would "push the frontier in the next year or so"2
. The model, originally scheduled for March, showed underperformance in internal tests across key metrics including reasoning, coding, and writing capabilities3
.
Source: Analytics Insight
Competition in Artificial Intelligence Intensifies
While Avocado outperformed Meta's previous AI model and Google's Gemini 2.5 from March, it failed to reach the performance levels of Gemini 3.0, which launched in November
2
. This gap matters because Google, OpenAI, and Anthropic are widely regarded as leaders in developing frontier model technology, which forms the foundation for chatbots, video generators, coding tools, and other AI products2
. The competition has accelerated, with Google's Gemini 3 showcasing impressive capabilities, OpenAI updating GPT-5, and Anthropic's Claude Code and Cowork proving reliable for agentic AI tasks1
.Significant Financial Investments in AI Yield Limited Returns
Meta has committed staggering resources to Meta's AI development efforts, with capital expenditures projected to reach between $115 billion and $135 billion in 2026 alone, up from $72 billion in the previous year
1
3
. The company purchased a 49% stake in Scale AI for $14.3 billion, bringing founder Alexandr Wang on board as chief AI officer1
3
. Meta has also offered pay packages reportedly reaching $100 million to attract talent from rival companies, with some reports suggesting Andrew Tulloch's compensation could reach $1.5 billion over six years3
. Despite these massive expenditures, the company continues to trail its competitors in delivering cutting-edge models.Mark Zuckerberg's Superintelligence Vision Faces Challenges
Mark Zuckerberg has stated that Meta aims to build artificial superintelligence that could exceed human intelligence
3
. The company has committed to spending $600 billion on AI infrastructure in the U.S. by 20283
. However, this isn't Meta's first stumble. Llama 4 was delayed after failing to meet expectations on reasoning and math benchmarks, despite Zuckerberg's prediction it would become the "leading state-of-the-art model" in 20255
. In May, Meta delayed its Behemoth model due to insufficient improvements, prompting Zuckerberg to reorganize the company's AI work under Meta Superintelligence Labs by late June5
.
Source: New York Post
Considering Google Gemini as Temporary Solution
Leaders within Meta's AI division have discussed temporarily licensing Gemini to power the company's AI products while Avocado continues development, though no final decisions have been reached
2
5
. This consideration highlights the urgency of Meta's situation in the AI race. A Meta spokesperson responded to the reports, stating: "As we've said publicly, our next model will be good, but more importantly, show the rapid trajectory we're on, and then we'll steadily push the frontier over the course of the year as we continue to release new models. We're excited for people to see what we've been cooking very soon"1
3
.Related Stories
Privacy Concerns Add to Meta's Challenges
Beyond AI development struggles, Meta faces mounting privacy concerns related to its Ray-Ban smart glasses
1
4
. A class action lawsuit alleges that human contractors reviewing footage from the glasses viewed intimate material, including bathroom visits and sexual encounters, recorded without subjects' knowledge or consent4
. The legal action follows reports from Swedish newspapers that workers based in Kenya encountered private scenes while labeling objects in video clips4
. On the social media front, a high-profile trial is examining whether platforms like Instagram and Facebook are addictive to teens and pose significant health risks1
.What Comes Next for Meta's AI Strategy
The New York Times reports that Meta is already working on another model called Mango, continuing its fruit-themed naming convention
5
. Both Avocado and Mango are designed as image and video generators4
. Investors have remained supportive of Meta's AI spending because the company's core advertising business continues generating substantial revenue, providing the cash flow to sustain these ambitious projects5
. The question now is whether Meta can translate its massive financial investments into models that genuinely compete with the industry leaders, or whether the company will continue playing catch-up in the frontier AI race.
Source: PYMNTS
References
Summarized by
Navi
Related Stories
Meta's AI strategy pivots as Avocado model threatens open source commitment and sparks internal tension
04 Dec 2025•Technology
Meta AI's Muse Spark API Delay Leaves Developers Waiting as Competition Intensifies
04 Jun 2026•Technology
Meta Superintelligence Labs delivers first internal AI models, CTO Andrew Bosworth reveals
21 Jan 2026•Technology
Recent Highlights
1
OpenAI Claims AI Math Breakthrough on Navier-Stokes, Sparks Controversy Over Credit and Future of Research
Science and Research
2
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang Declares AGI Has Arrived With OpenAI's GPT-6 Astra Release
Technology
3
Apple debuts $1,999 iPhone Duo foldable and A20 Pro chip as new CEO John Ternus takes the stage
Technology
Recent Highlights
Today's Top Stories
Don’t drown in AI news. We cut through the noise - filtering, ranking and summarizing the most important AI news, breakthroughs and research daily. Follow topics that matter to you and stay ahead.
