Meta Reverses Open-Source Stance: Next Flagship Model Will Be Closed

Meta is making a dramatic strategic shift. According to new reports from March 2026, the company plans to move from open-source to closed development for its future flagship models. The next generation is internally called "Avocado," and it has already been delayed to Q1 2026.

This is a break from what has been Meta's primary competitive advantage in the AI market. The Llama series made Meta a central player in the open AI ecosystem, with thousands of businesses and developers having built solutions on top of these models.

What is driving the reversal? Reports point to two factors: concerns about architectural exposure in competitive markets, and a stronger focus on commercial results from the newly established Meta Superintelligence Lab (MSL).

The Llama 4 series remains open, with Scout and Maverick available via Hugging Face and other platforms. But the future looks different. Zuckerberg, who has proclaimed openness as a core principle, now appears willing to sacrifice it to win the AI race.

For enterprise customers and developers who have invested heavily in Llama infrastructure, this is an important signal: diversify your technology stack, and don't take for granted that future Meta models will be freely available.