Meta Delays Avocado AI Model, Considers Licensing Google Gemini

Meta futuristic data center with holographic avocado AI model concept

Meta has delayed the release of its new foundational AI model, codenamed Avocado, to at least May 2026 after it fell short of leading AI models from rivals like Google, OpenAI, and Anthropic on internal benchmarks for reasoning, coding, and writing.

What Happened

Originally targeted for a mid-March release, Avocado outperformed Meta's previous AI model and beat Google's Gemini 2.5 from March, but has not matched the performance of Gemini 3.0 from November, according to three people with knowledge of the matter.

In a striking development, Meta's AI leadership has reportedly discussed temporarily licensing Google's Gemini to power the company's AI products while Avocado continues development. No final decisions have been reached on this front.

The $600 Billion Bet

CEO Mark Zuckerberg has committed enormous resources to AI, spending $600 billion on data centers and projecting up to $135 billion in spending this year alone — nearly double the $72 billion spent last year. The company also invested $14.3 billion in Scale AI last June, bringing its CEO Alexandr Wang, 29, on board as Meta's chief AI officer.

Wang assembled an elite lab called TBD (for "to be determined") with around 100 employees, working on two fruit-themed models: Avocado (a foundational AI model) and Mango (an image and video generator). The lab has already released one product — Vibes, an AI video app similar to OpenAI's Sora.

Internal Friction

The delay comes amid reported friction within Meta. Wang has clashed with Chief Product Officer Chris Cox and Chief Technology Officer Andrew Bosworth over how the new AI models should improve the company's advertising business. Last week, Meta announced a new AI engineering team under Bosworth that would collaborate with Wang's division.

Meta moved to quash rumors of a rift between Zuckerberg and Wang, with a spokesman calling the idea "totally false." Zuckerberg posted a selfie with Wang on Threads with the caption "Meanwhile at Meta HQ."

The Bottom Line

Despite the setback, Meta is already planning its next model, codenamed Watermelon. The company faces a critical question: can it catch up to Google, OpenAI, and Anthropic in the foundational AI race, or will it need to rely on competitors' technology to power its products? With $135 billion in annual AI spending, the pressure is on to show results.

As Zuckerberg himself noted in January: "I expect our first models will be good, but more importantly will show the rapid trajectory we're on." Whether that trajectory materializes fast enough remains to be seen.