Meta has reportedly delayed the launch of its much-anticipated “Behemoth” AI model, citing internal concerns about its performance and readiness. According to a Wall Street Journal report, the delay comes as company engineers question whether the improvements in Behemoth over previous models are significant enough to warrant a public release.
Meta’s Behemoth AI Model Faces Internal Challenges
Initially slated for release in April 2025 to coincide with Meta’s inaugural AI developer conference, the launch was postponed to June and has now been pushed further to fall 2025 or later.
Insiders revealed that Meta’s engineering teams are still struggling to enhance the large language model (LLM) to a level that distinguishes it from its predecessors in a meaningful way. This has raised internal scepticism about whether the release should proceed at all, the WSJ reported.
The delay highlights growing concerns about the complexity and expectations surrounding large-scale AI systems, even among leading tech firms like Meta.
Meta’s AI Development Roadmap: Llama 4 and Beyond
Meta had previewed Llama 4 Behemoth in April, describing it as “one of the smartest LLMs in the world and our most powerful yet.” The company intended Behemoth to serve as a foundational or “teacher” model for training new generations of AI systems.
That same month, Meta released two other models under the Llama 4 series, Llama 4 Scout and Llama 4 Maverick, suggesting continued progress in its AI development pipeline despite the behemoth setback.
Meta has not publicly responded to the recent WSJ report or to enquiries from Reuters. It remains unclear whether the company will provide a new official timeline for Behemoth’s release
Key Takeaways
- Meta delays its flagship Behemoth AI model due to capability concerns
- Engineers question whether the improvements over earlier LLMs are significant
- Original April 2025 launch pushed to fall 2025 or later
- Behemoth was intended to debut at Meta’s first AI developer conference
