Zuckerberg Said AI Agent Progress Has Been Slower Than Expected

Meta Platforms Inc. shares dropped 4.94% to $582.65 on Tuesday after Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg told employees that AI agent progress had been slower than expected and that the company would require staff to opt into its internal AI training program following a data leak.

Zuckerberg, speaking at an all-hands meeting, said superintelligence would take more time and effort than some inside Meta had anticipated, according to people familiar with the discussion. "It's going to take a bit of time and elbow grease," he said.

The data leak, which affected employee training data, prompted Meta to change its enrollment policy from automatic to opt-in, the people said. The company had previously enrolled staff in AI model training without explicit consent. The change adds a layer of privacy protection. It could reduce the volume of data available for refining Meta's models.

Meta's AI investments have been a key focus for investors, with the company spending billions on data centers and research. The slower timetable for AI agents, which Meta has positioned as a future revenue driver, suggests near-term expectations for automation tools could shift, people familiar with the meeting said. Zuckerberg's comments struck a more cautious tone than his recent public statements about AI capabilities, the people said.

The META stock page shows an AlphaScala score of 65 out of 100, a "Moderate" rating indicating balanced risk and reward at current levels. The score reflects the stock's decline and the mixed signals from the internal meeting.

META shares closed at $582.65, down 4.94%.