Latest news with #MistralAI
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Meta's Llama AI Team Suffers Talent Exodus As Top Researchers Join $2B Mistral AI, Backed By Andreessen Horowitz And Salesforce
, a Paris-based startup founded by former Meta (NASDAQ:META) researchers Guillaume Lample and Timothée Lacroix, is rapidly emerging as a key player in the open-source AI space, and it's doing so with Meta's top talent. The tech giant is contending with a major loss of talent within its AI division as the architects behind its flagship Llama models exit the company. According to Business Insider, only three of the 14 researchers credited on the 2023 Llama paper remain employed at Meta. Five of the Llama paper's co-authors have joined Mistral in the past 18 months, intensifying scrutiny around Meta's ability to retain top-tier AI personnel, Business Insider reports. Don't Miss: 'Scrolling To UBI' — Deloitte's #1 fastest-growing software company allows users to earn money on their phones. Hasbro, MGM, and Skechers trust this AI marketing firm — Backed by $2 billion in funding, Mistral AI is rapidly gaining ground as one of the most aggressive challengers in the open-source AI space. As reported by TechCrunch, the company is supported by premier venture firms including Andreessen Horowitz, Lightspeed Venture Partners, and Salesforce (NYSE:CRM), all known for placing high-stakes bets on transformative technologies. Other notable backers include Bpifrance, Xavier Niel, Eric Schmidt, General Catalyst, and BNP Paribas, reflecting deep institutional and individual confidence in Mistral's long-term vision. Founded in 2023, Mistral is building advanced open-weight AI models that directly compete with Meta's Llama family. Its approach appeals to developers seeking transparency and customization in contrast to the closed nature of proprietary systems. With former Meta researchers such as Marie-Anne Lachaux, Thibaut Lavril, and Baptiste Rozière now working alongside Mistral's founders, the company may lead the next wave of open-source innovation, Business Insider reports. Trending: Meta's previous dominance in this space was largely defined by its decision to release Llama models with open access to their architecture and training data. According to Business Insider, that move helped validate open-weight large language models as viable alternatives to proprietary giants like OpenAI and Google. But with the original architects of Llama now working elsewhere, Meta's early lead is under pressure. Meta's internal AI leadership is undergoing a shift as well. In April, longtime executive Joelle Pineau stepped away from her role leading the Fundamental AI Research group after eight years. Taking over the position is Robert Fergus, a FAIR co-founder and former DeepMind scientist, marking a return to Meta following a five-year stint at Google's AI lab, Business Insider says. Separately, The Wall Street Journal reported that Meta's largest AI model to date, dubbed Behemoth, has been delayed due to internal concerns over performance and direction. Meanwhile, Business Insider notes that developers are increasingly turning to faster-evolving alternatives such as Qwen and DeepSeek following the Llama 4 investing billions into AI infrastructure, Meta still lacks a model explicitly focused on reasoning tasks, such as multi-step problem-solving or tool use. According to Business Insider, competitors like OpenAI and Anthropic are moving quickly to prioritize those capabilities, and without that strategic leap, Meta's influence over the open-source ecosystem may continue to decline. Of the 11 researchers who left Meta since the Llama paper's publication, most had been with the company for more than five years, according to LinkedIn profiles reviewed by Business Insider. Some departed as recently as February. Their exits mark a significant shift in Meta's AI capabilities and raise questions about the company's ability to maintain its leadership in the field. Read Next: Deloitte's fastest-growing software company partners with Amazon, Walmart & Target – Image: Shutterstock UNLOCKED: 5 NEW TRADES EVERY WEEK. Click now to get top trade ideas daily, plus unlimited access to cutting-edge tools and strategies to gain an edge in the markets. Get the latest stock analysis from Benzinga? SALESFORCE (CRM): Free Stock Analysis Report This article Meta's Llama AI Team Suffers Talent Exodus As Top Researchers Join $2B Mistral AI, Backed By Andreessen Horowitz And Salesforce originally appeared on © 2025 Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Meta's Llama AI Team Suffers Talent Exodus As Top Researchers Join $2B Mistral AI, Backed By Andreessen Horowitz And Salesforce
, a Paris-based startup founded by former Meta (NASDAQ:META) researchers Guillaume Lample and Timothée Lacroix, is rapidly emerging as a key player in the open-source AI space, and it's doing so with Meta's top talent. The tech giant is contending with a major loss of talent within its AI division as the architects behind its flagship Llama models exit the company. According to Business Insider, only three of the 14 researchers credited on the 2023 Llama paper remain employed at Meta. Five of the Llama paper's co-authors have joined Mistral in the past 18 months, intensifying scrutiny around Meta's ability to retain top-tier AI personnel, Business Insider reports. Don't Miss: 'Scrolling To UBI' — Deloitte's #1 fastest-growing software company allows users to earn money on their phones. Hasbro, MGM, and Skechers trust this AI marketing firm — Backed by $2 billion in funding, Mistral AI is rapidly gaining ground as one of the most aggressive challengers in the open-source AI space. As reported by TechCrunch, the company is supported by premier venture firms including Andreessen Horowitz, Lightspeed Venture Partners, and Salesforce (NYSE:CRM), all known for placing high-stakes bets on transformative technologies. Other notable backers include Bpifrance, Xavier Niel, Eric Schmidt, General Catalyst, and BNP Paribas, reflecting deep institutional and individual confidence in Mistral's long-term vision. Founded in 2023, Mistral is building advanced open-weight AI models that directly compete with Meta's Llama family. Its approach appeals to developers seeking transparency and customization in contrast to the closed nature of proprietary systems. With former Meta researchers such as Marie-Anne Lachaux, Thibaut Lavril, and Baptiste Rozière now working alongside Mistral's founders, the company may lead the next wave of open-source innovation, Business Insider reports. Trending: Meta's previous dominance in this space was largely defined by its decision to release Llama models with open access to their architecture and training data. According to Business Insider, that move helped validate open-weight large language models as viable alternatives to proprietary giants like OpenAI and Google. But with the original architects of Llama now working elsewhere, Meta's early lead is under pressure. Meta's internal AI leadership is undergoing a shift as well. In April, longtime executive Joelle Pineau stepped away from her role leading the Fundamental AI Research group after eight years. Taking over the position is Robert Fergus, a FAIR co-founder and former DeepMind scientist, marking a return to Meta following a five-year stint at Google's AI lab, Business Insider says. Separately, The Wall Street Journal reported that Meta's largest AI model to date, dubbed Behemoth, has been delayed due to internal concerns over performance and direction. Meanwhile, Business Insider notes that developers are increasingly turning to faster-evolving alternatives such as Qwen and DeepSeek following the Llama 4 investing billions into AI infrastructure, Meta still lacks a model explicitly focused on reasoning tasks, such as multi-step problem-solving or tool use. According to Business Insider, competitors like OpenAI and Anthropic are moving quickly to prioritize those capabilities, and without that strategic leap, Meta's influence over the open-source ecosystem may continue to decline. Of the 11 researchers who left Meta since the Llama paper's publication, most had been with the company for more than five years, according to LinkedIn profiles reviewed by Business Insider. Some departed as recently as February. Their exits mark a significant shift in Meta's AI capabilities and raise questions about the company's ability to maintain its leadership in the field. Read Next: Deloitte's fastest-growing software company partners with Amazon, Walmart & Target – Image: Shutterstock UNLOCKED: 5 NEW TRADES EVERY WEEK. Click now to get top trade ideas daily, plus unlimited access to cutting-edge tools and strategies to gain an edge in the markets. Get the latest stock analysis from Benzinga? SALESFORCE (CRM): Free Stock Analysis Report This article Meta's Llama AI Team Suffers Talent Exodus As Top Researchers Join $2B Mistral AI, Backed By Andreessen Horowitz And Salesforce originally appeared on © 2025 Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. Fehler beim Abrufen der Daten Melden Sie sich an, um Ihr Portfolio aufzurufen. Fehler beim Abrufen der Daten Fehler beim Abrufen der Daten Fehler beim Abrufen der Daten Fehler beim Abrufen der Daten
Straits Times
2 days ago
- Business
- Straits Times
French multinational Thales to launch AI centre in Singapore
Minister for Digital Development and Information Josephine Teo speaks at the France-Singapore Frontier Technologies Forum 2025 on May 30. ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM SINGAPORE – French aerospace and defence giant Thales will set up a new artificial intelligence (AI) centre in Singapore to develop AI solutions for critical environments and strengthen its research and development capabilities. Solutions that are developed at the cortAIx (pronounced 'cortex') centre will benefit the company's global network, said Minister for Digital Development and Information Josephine Teo at the France-Singapore Frontier Technologies Forum, held at the Fullerton Hotel on May 30. The Singapore centre will be Thales' fourth cortAIx site, after France, Canada and Britain, said Thales cortAIx factory vice-president Mickael Brossard. Launched in 2024, cortAIx is an initiative by the French firm to accelerate the development of artificial intelligence for aircraft, armed forces and critical infrastructure, bringing together experts in the sector. Thales, which has operated in Singapore since 1973 and currently conducts manufacturing and maintenance here, among other activities , also signed a deal with the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore on May 30 to set up an International Avionics Lab here in 2026, to develop and test new solutions for air traffic management and airport operations. These agreements were among several between French and local organisations that were unveiled at the forum. Mrs Teo announced that France's National Centre for Scientific Research, through its centre at the National University of Singapore's Create facility, will participate in Singapore's National Robotics Programme to strengthen research in embodied AI. Embodied AI is the integration of artificial intelligence with physical systems. The collaboration will be supported with funding of $20 million, Mrs Teo said. (From left) Mistral AI VP Revenue Geoff Soon, cortAIx Factory VP Mickael Brossard, CNRS CEO and President Antoine Petit, HTC Assistant Chief Executive, Chief AI Officer Ang Chee Wee, ST Engineering Group CTO Lee Shiang Long and AI Singapore AI Innovation director Laurence Liew during a panel discussion at the France-Singapore Frontier Technologies Forum 2025 on May 30. ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM Meanwhile, French start-up Mistral AI will partner with ST Engineering on applied AI engineering, she added. This comes on top of a tie-up between Mistral AI, the Home Team Science and Technology Agency (HTX) and Microsoft to enhance Home Team operations, announced on May 26. In January, the start-up said it had plans to set up a Singapore office. Mrs Teo also announced that aerospace giant Airbus will work with Singapore's Economic Development Board and the Infocomm Media Development Authority to jointly develop potential applications for a 5G-non-terrestrial network, in which satellites and other high-altitude platforms are used to extend 5G coverage and functionality. 'They aim to reduce time lag and quicken responsiveness of AI systems, so they can be deployed in more scenarios,' she said. French energy company Engie will also partner with transport operator SBS Transit on reducing the carbon footprint of public transport, Mrs Teo said. Singapore and France are both strong proponents of multilateralism, she said. 'Our world is becoming more fractious and unpredictable. Yet, Singapore and France have continued to support an open and inclusive trading system,' she said. 'While tariff-induced uncertainties persist, French businesses operating in Singapore can continue to benefit from the Asean Free Trade Area, which makes it more cost-effective for French businesses in Singapore to export and source goods from this region,' said Mrs Teo. Minister for Digital Development and Information Josephine Teo, National Robotics Programme Executive Director (Designate) Tung Meng Fai, CNRS CEO and President Antoine Petit, and French Minister Delegate for Artificial Intelligence and Digital Affairs Clara Chappaz at the bilateral agreement presentation on May 30. ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM Ms Clara Chappaz, France's Minister Delegate for artificial intelligence and digital technologies, said the two countries had a common mission not only to see technology develop, but to see it used for the common good. Speaking at the event, Minister-in-charge of Energy, and Science and Technology Tan See Leng noted that ties between the two countries were 'underpinned by strong economic cooperation that has grown steadily over the years'. Manpower Minister and Minister in charge of Energy and Science and Technology Tan See Leng speaking at the France-Singapore Frontier Technologies Forum 2025 on May 30. ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM France is currently the Republic's second-largest goods trading partner and third-largest investor among EU member states, Dr Tan said, adding that more than 2,600 French firms operate here. 'Since the EU-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (EUSFTA) entered into force in 2019, bilateral goods trade has grown by around 10 per cent to exceed $21 billion in 2024. Bilateral services trade also expanded by around 20 per cent to surpass $8 billion in 2023,' he said. The announcements were made in conjunction with a state visit by French President Emmanuel Macron to Singapore. Prime Minister Lawrence Wong had earlier announced the two countries would upgrade their bilateral ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, which would deepen cooperation in existing sectors as well expand collaboration in new areas such as decarbonisation. Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
1 Growth Stock Down 40% to Buy Hand Over Fist Right Now
DigitalOcean stock took a beating this year despite a couple of solid quarterly results. The cloud services provider is trading at an attractive valuation following its plunge. DigitalOcean's growth could turn out to be much better than expected thanks to the red-hot demand for its AI services. 10 stocks we like better than DigitalOcean › Shares of DigitalOcean (NYSE: DOCN) experienced a sharp pullback in the past three months after a bright start to the year. The drop seems quite surprising considering the company delivered a couple of solid quarterly reports so far in 2025. DigitalOcean provides on-demand, cloud-computing infrastructure to developers, small businesses, and start-ups, and the demand for the company's solutions has picked up impressively in recent quarters thanks to artificial intelligence (AI). The growing adoption of cloud-based AI services was a key reason why DigitalOcean crushed Wall Street's estimates in February. This was followed by another set of strong results for the first quarter of 2025, released on May 6. Still, the cloud-computing stock trades down about 40% since hitting a 52-week high in mid-February. The good part is that this steep pullback in DigitalOcean's share price is an opportunity for savvy investors to buy a top growth stock at an attractive valuation. Let's look at the reasons why this discounted stock is a no-brainer buy right now. DigitalOcean reported healthy revenue growth of 14% in Q1 as compared to the year-ago period. This was a 2-percentage-point improvement to the top-line growth it delivered in Q1 2024. The company's adjusted earnings increased at a faster pace of 30% year over year. The company's management attributed the robust growth in its revenue and earnings to the rapid adoption of its AI services. DigitalOcean customers can rent powerful graphics processing units (GPUs) from the company to train and deploy AI models, perform AI inference tasks, and scale their AI projects as per their requirements. The company gives customers the flexibility to do all of this without having to invest in expensive hardware, such as GPUs that cost in the tens of thousands of dollars each. Moreover, DigitalOcean customers save on the costs associated with managing the AI infrastructure. They can pay for the capacity they require and focus on building and deploying AI applications. Importantly, DigitalOcean has been adding more AI-focused services to its portfolio to capitalize on the adoption of this technology. For instance, the company introduced its GenAI Platform in January 2025, offering customers "an all-in-one solution that empowers you to build and scale AI agents quickly." Backed by popular large language models (LLMs) from the likes of Anthropic, Meta Platforms, and Mistral AI, DigitalOcean saw terrific demand for its GenAI Platform. The company points out that more than 5,000 customers use its GenAI Platform already and have built more than 8,000 AI agents. As a result, DigitalOcean's annual recurring revenue (ARR) from AI services increased by a whopping 160% year over year in Q1. The company's focus on pushing the envelope on the product-development front played a key role in driving this growth as it released 50 new features during the quarter, which was a 5x jump from the year-ago period. Looking ahead, the demand for AI agents is expected to increase at an annual rate of 46% through 2030, while the adoption of cloud-based AI services is also expected to jump at a compound annual growth rate of 30% over the next eight years. Moreover, DigitalOcean believes that it has a total addressable market (TAM) worth a whopping $140 billion, which means that the possibility of further acceleration in its growth cannot be ruled out, considering that it has generated just over $800 million in revenue in the past year. DigitalOcean's solid growth last quarter and its sunny prospects tell us that investors are getting a great deal on this AI stock right now, considering that it is trading at just 26 times earnings. The forward price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 15 looks even more attractive, as it points toward robust growth in its bottom line. Investors, however, should note that DigitalOcean's earnings forecast of $1.85 to $1.95 per share for 2025 doesn't point toward any meaningful growth from 2024 levels of $1.92 per share. That's because the company ramped up capital expenses (capex) this year to shore up its AI infrastructure. DigitalOcean's capex was 31% of revenue in Q1 as compared to 24% of revenue in the year-ago period. The company's bottom line increased nicely despite that substantial increase. This is a result of an increase in customer spending on its platform. DigitalOcean's average revenue per customer increased by 14% year over year. This figure could move higher thanks to DigitalOcean's focus on adding new AI services. That's why it won't be surprising to see its earnings growing at a faster pace than its guidance in 2025 and pick up pace in the long run, which could lead to more stock-price upside. That's why investors looking to buy an AI stock that delivers a mix of both value and growth should consider DigitalOcean following its sharp decline this year. Before you buy stock in DigitalOcean, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the for investors to buy now… and DigitalOcean wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $651,761!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $826,263!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 978% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 170% for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join . See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of May 19, 2025 Randi Zuckerberg, a former director of market development and spokeswoman for Facebook and sister to Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg, is a member of The Motley Fool's board of directors. Harsh Chauhan has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends DigitalOcean and Meta Platforms. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. 1 Growth Stock Down 40% to Buy Hand Over Fist Right Now was originally published by The Motley Fool Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Forbes
4 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
Mistral AI Introduces Agent Framework To Compete In Enterprise Market
Mistral Mistral French artificial intelligence company Mistral AI released a comprehensive agent development platform that enables enterprises to build autonomous AI systems capable of executing complex, multi-step business processes. The recently launched Agents API positions the Paris-based startup as a direct competitor to OpenAI's Agents SDK, Azure AI Foundry Agents and Google's Agent Development Kit in the rapidly expanding market for enterprise automation. The platform addresses a fundamental limitation in current language models: their inability to perform actions beyond text generation. Mistral's approach combines its Medium 3 language model with persistent memory, tool integration and orchestration capabilities that allow AI systems to maintain context across conversations while executing tasks like code analysis, document processing and web research. Mistral's agent framework operates through four core components that differentiate it from traditional chatbot implementations. 1. The code execution connector provides a sandboxed Python environment where agents can perform data analysis, mathematical calculations and generate visualizations without compromising system security. This capability targets financial modeling, scientific computing and business intelligence applications where organizations need AI systems to process and analyze data dynamically. 2. The platform's web search integration demonstrates measurable performance improvements in accuracy-dependent tasks. Internal testing using the SimpleQA benchmark showed Mistral Large's accuracy increased from 23% to 75% when web search was enabled, while Mistral Medium improved from 22% to 82%. These metrics indicate the system's ability to ground responses in current information rather than relying solely on training data. 3. Document processing capabilities enable agents to access and analyze enterprise knowledge bases through retrieval-augmented generation. However, Mistral's documentation lacks specificity about whether the system uses vector search or full-text search methods, which affects implementation decisions for organizations with large document repositories. 4. The agent handoff mechanism allows multiple specialized agents to collaborate on complex workflows. A financial analysis agent, for example, can delegate market research tasks to a web search agent while coordinating with a document processing agent to compile comprehensive reports. This multi-agent architecture enables organizations to decompose complex business processes into manageable, specialized components. Mistral's entry into agent development occurs alongside similar releases from major technology companies. OpenAI launched its Agents SDK in March 2025, emphasizing simplicity and Python-first development. Google introduced the Agent Development Kit as an open-source framework optimized for the Gemini ecosystem while maintaining model-agnostic compatibility. Recently, at Build conference, Microsoft announced the general availability of its agent platform, Azure AI Foundry Agents. The timing suggests coordinated market movement toward standardized agent development frameworks. All the major agent development platforms now support the Model Context Protocol, an open standard created by Anthropic that enables agents to connect with external applications and data sources. This convergence indicates that the industry recognizes agent interoperability as a key determinant of long-term platform viability. Mistral's approach differs from competitors in its emphasis on enterprise deployment flexibility. The company offers hybrid and on-premises installation options using as few as four GPUs, addressing data sovereignty concerns that prevent many organizations from adopting cloud-based AI services. Google's ADK focuses on multi-agent orchestration and evaluation frameworks, while OpenAI's SDK prioritizes developer simplicity with minimal abstractions. Azure AI Foundry Agents deliver better integration capabilities with other Azure AI services. The pricing structure reveals Mistral's enterprise focus, but it also introduces cost considerations for large-scale deployments. Beyond the base model cost of $0.40 per million input tokens, organizations pay additional fees for connector usage: $30 per 1,000 calls for web search and code execution and $100 per 1,000 images for generation capabilities. These connector fees can accumulate quickly in production environments, requiring careful cost modeling for budget planning. The shift from Mistral's traditional open-source approach to a proprietary model, as seen in Medium 3, raises strategic questions about vendor dependence. Organizations implementing the Agents API cannot deploy the underlying model independently, unlike Mistral's previous releases, which allowed for complete on-premises control. Enterprise implementations span financial services, energy and healthcare sectors, with early adopters reporting positive outcomes in customer support automation and technical data analysis. However, the platform's recent launch means long-term reliability and scalability data remains limited. Organizations must evaluate these platforms based on existing infrastructure, data governance requirements and specific use case complexity rather than purely on technical capabilities. The success of each approach will depend on how effectively companies can integrate agent systems into existing business processes while managing associated costs and operational complexity.
