Facebook hires head of AI research

In the newly created role, Pesenti succeeds Yann LeCun, the founder of Facebook’s AI Research Lab (FAIR), and also takes over the company’s Applied Machine Learning Group, Quartz reports.

Formerly an AI executive at IBM, Pesenti was most recently chief executive of startup BenevolentAI. In the new role, he will report to Facebook’s chief technology officer.

LeCun, who founded FAIR in 2013, will become the company’s chief AI scientist, with a greater focus on research. Pesenti’s role will combine research, development and product.

Facebook’s Applied Machine Learning Group rolls out AI into features such as Newsfeed, which the company has recently said will place less emphasis on news and public content. 

The company announced earlier this week it would expand its AI research team in Paris. It also has AI hubs in Menlo Park, California and New York.