LeCun calls Silicon Valley "hypnotized" by GenAI and pivots to "non-generative" world models

Humanoid robots have taken center stage at a recent summit in Silicon Valley, highlighting ongoing skepticism among investors regarding their viability. Venture capitalist Modar Alaoui expressed concerns about the complexity and capital intensity of robotics, suggesting that the sector may not be as exciting as others in the tech landscape.

Oracle's recent $300 billion investment in artificial intelligence, spearheaded by Larry Ellison, has become a focal point in Silicon Valley's current tech boom, raising questions about its sustainability and potential as a bubble indicator.

Meta has appointed Aman Jain to lead its public policy efforts in India, bringing over two decades of experience in public policy and business strategy to the role. This strategic move is aimed at enhancing Meta's engagement with Indian regulatory frameworks and stakeholders.

A recent study has introduced a meta-learning framework that discovers local learning rules for structured credit assignment in recurrent networks trained with sparse feedback. This framework utilizes local neo-Hebbian-like updates during task execution, optimizing plasticity parameters through tangent-propagation, enabling long-timescale credit assignment using only local information and delayed feedback.

Theo Baker, a prominent reporter from Stanford University, is gaining attention for his critical examination of Silicon Valley's startup culture, which he describes as 'money-soaked.' His upcoming book is anticipated to solidify his reputation as a journalist willing to confront the prevailing narratives in the tech industry.

A coalition of state attorneys general has issued a warning to major tech companies, including Meta, Microsoft, Google, and Apple, regarding the potential legal implications of their chatbots producing what they describe as 'delusional outputs.' This letter emphasizes concerns that such outputs may violate state laws, highlighting the need for accountability in AI technologies.

Meta is reportedly developing a new AI model named 'Avocado', which may not be open source. This initiative reflects the company's ongoing commitment to advancing its artificial intelligence capabilities amidst a competitive landscape.

Meta is reportedly transitioning from its open Llama models to a new AI model codenamed 'Avocado,' which is expected to be a closed model aimed at direct sales, with a potential release in spring 2026. This shift indicates a strategic pivot in Meta's approach to AI development.