--- title: "Meta May Delay 'Avocado' As Tech Underwhelms In Tests Against Google Gemini And Anthropic AI Models: Report" type: "News" locale: "en" url: "https://longbridge.com/en/news/279007440.md" description: "Meta Platforms has delayed the launch of its AI model \"Avocado\" due to underperformance in internal tests compared to Google and Anthropic models. Originally set for release this month, the launch is now pushed to at least May. Despite improvements over previous models, \"Avocado\" did not meet the capabilities of the latest Google Gemini. CEO Mark Zuckerberg continues to invest heavily in AI, with projections of spending up to $135 billion this year. Meta's shares fell 2.55% to $638.18, reflecting a downward trend in stock performance." datetime: "2026-03-13T07:39:10.000Z" locales: - [zh-CN](https://longbridge.com/zh-CN/news/279007440.md) - [en](https://longbridge.com/en/news/279007440.md) - [zh-HK](https://longbridge.com/zh-HK/news/279007440.md) --- > Supported Languages: [简体中文](https://longbridge.com/zh-CN/news/279007440.md) | [繁體中文](https://longbridge.com/zh-HK/news/279007440.md) # Meta May Delay 'Avocado' As Tech Underwhelms In Tests Against Google Gemini And Anthropic AI Models: Report **Meta Platforms, Inc.'s** (NASDAQ:META) upcoming foundational AI model, code-named "Avocado," has reportedly underperformed compared with systems from competitors during internal evaluations. ## **Meta's ‘Avocado' AI Model Reportedly Falls Short In Internal Tests** Internal tests showed "Avocado" is lagging behind newer models from companies such as **Alphabet Inc.'s** (NASDAQ:GOOG) (NASDAQ:GOOGL) **Google** and **Anthropic**, the New York Times reported, citing people familiar with the matter. The model is designed to power future chatbots, coding assistants and other AI-driven products across Meta's ecosystem. While Avocado performed better than Meta's earlier AI systems and even surpassed an earlier version of **Google's Gemini** model, it reportedly did not match the capabilities of the latest Gemini release. ## **Launch Delayed As Meta Explores Alternatives** Because of the performance gap, Meta has reportedly pushed Avocado's launch back to at least May, from an earlier planned release this month. Executives have also discussed the possibility of temporarily licensing technology from Google's Gemini models to support some of Meta's AI products, though no final decision has been made. Meta did not immediately respond to Benzinga's request for comments. ## **Zuckerberg's Massive AI Bet** Zuckerberg has positioned AI as central to Meta's future strategy. The company has spent billions hiring researchers and building infrastructure to support the technology. In January 2026, Meta projected it could spend as much as $135 billion this year, nearly double the roughly $72 billion it spent last year, as it expands data centers and AI capabilities. Meta is also developing additional models, including "Mango," focused on image and video generation. Moreover, a future system is reportedly planned under the code name "Watermelon." **Price Action:** On Thursday, Shares of Meta fell 2.55% to $638.18 and slipped another 0.18% to $637 in after-hours trading, according to Benzinga Pro. According to **Benzinga Edge Stock Rankings**, Meta shares are trending lower in the short, medium and long-term, though the company's Quality score were in the 89th percentile. **_Disclaimer_:** _This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors._ _Photo: PJ McDonnell / Shutterstock_ ### Related Stocks - [Meta Platforms, Inc. (META.US)](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/META.US.md) - [Direxion Daily GOOGL Bull 2X Shares (GGLL.US)](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/GGLL.US.md) - [Alphabet Inc. (GOOGL.US)](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/GOOGL.US.md) - [Roundhill GOOGL WeeklyPay ETF (GOOW.US)](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/GOOW.US.md) - [Roundhill META WeeklyPay ETF (METW.US)](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/METW.US.md) - [GraniteShares 2x Long META Daily ETF (FBL.US)](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/FBL.US.md) - [Direxion Daily META Bull 2X ETF (METU.US)](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/METU.US.md) - [Alphabet Inc. (GOOG.US)](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/GOOG.US.md) ## Related News & Research - [Meta 'Must Evolve' Approach to AI Content, Says Board after Iran-Israel War Case Study](https://longbridge.com/en/news/278596014.md) - [Google rolls out new Gemini capabilities to Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Drive](https://longbridge.com/en/news/278560180.md) - [As Meta Platforms Launches a New AI Engineering Team, Is META Stock a Buy?](https://longbridge.com/en/news/278895043.md) - [Meta's 'Avocado' AI Model Delayed Again — Should META Stock Investors Be Worried?](https://longbridge.com/en/news/278983880.md) - [Scam syndicates using AI to generate fake pet adoption content in latest ruse: Meta report](https://longbridge.com/en/news/279112307.md)