Key Takeaways
- Meta Platforms has postponed its upcoming flagship AI model, internally called “Avocado,” until May 2026 at the earliest.
- Current benchmarks show the model performing somewhere between Google’s Gemini 2.5 and Gemini 3 versions.
- The social media giant is exploring options to temporarily license Google’s Gemini AI for its product ecosystem.
- Meta’s most recent frontier AI model — Llama 3 — was launched in 2024.
- This setback emerges as Meta prepares capital expenditures reaching $135 billion for 2026.
Meta Platforms’ upcoming “Avocado” AI system has been postponed to May following disappointing internal benchmarks. Sources indicate the company is exploring a provisional licensing arrangement with Google’s Gemini platform.
Why Is Meta Delaying Its Avocado AI Launch?
Meta Platforms has pushed back the launch of its forthcoming AI system, known internally as “Avocado,” from its original release window this month to May at the earliest — with potential slippage into June.
According to initial reporting from The New York Times, which cited people with direct knowledge of the situation, internal testing revealed performance gaps. Reuters independently verified that Avocado currently benchmarks somewhere between Google’s Gemini 2.5 and Gemini 3 iterations — essentially missing Meta’s performance targets.
The company’s previous frontier-level AI release was Llama 3, which debuted in 2024. In the interim, competitors including Google’s Gemini, OpenAI’s GPT series, and Anthropic’s Claude have advanced their capabilities significantly.
Meta did launch two compact Llama 4 variants last year, optimized for resource-constrained environments. These releases were expected to precede a more robust system dubbed “Behemoth” — though updates on that project have been notably absent.
A Meta representative stated: “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.” They continued: “We’re excited for people to see what we’ve been cooking very soon.”
Meta stock declined approximately 2% during early Friday market hours.
Is Meta Considering a Google AI Partnership?
The situation takes an intriguing turn with reports that Meta’s AI leadership has explored provisionally licensing Google’s Gemini technology to support its product offerings during Avocado’s development phase. While no final determination has been reached, these discussions are actively occurring.
Such an arrangement would represent a significant concession for CEO Mark Zuckerberg. He has committed substantial resources to his Superintelligence Labs initiative, assembling premier AI researchers and engineers. The company’s 2026 capital investment blueprint ranges from $115 billion to $135 billion, with AI infrastructure representing a major allocation.
A Gemini licensing partnership would essentially provide Alphabet with a high-profile validation — transforming its narrative from AI follower to sought-after technology provider.
Meta has already monetized AI capabilities effectively — enhancing advertising precision, optimizing content distribution algorithms, and developing proprietary silicon for recommendation engines. The company also commands leading market share in smart eyewear.
However, Zuckerberg has articulated ambitions to create a “personal superintelligence” — a Meta-native platform potentially capable of rivaling Apple and other mobile ecosystems as the primary everyday computing interface. Achieving this vision demands proprietary AI leadership, not dependency on external licensing.
For the moment, the Avocado postponement dominates investor attention. Meta stock traded down roughly 2% in Friday’s early session.
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