Meta seeks AI leadership, developers want better models

Meta's LlamaCon 2025 aimed to reassert its AI leadership, but developers found the event lacking compared to competitors like DeepSeek and Qwen. The conference showcased Meta's AI ambitions. The event featured announcements including a new Llama API, partnerships, and grants, but lacked a new reasoning model. Developers expressed disappointment, particularly regarding the absence of model improvements to compete with rivals. While Wall Street analysts praised LlamaCon, developers on platforms like Reddit and Hacker News criticized the focus on services over model advancements. Zuckerberg acknowledged the need for smaller, more versatile models.