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Meta’s Llama drama and how Trump’s tariffs could hit moonshot projects

Meta dropped three new models () over the weekend: Scout, Maverick, and the still-training Behemoth, billed as the next evolution of “open-ish” AI. But instead of excitement, the response was mostly shrugs. Critics called the release underwhelming, saying it lacked the edge expected in today’s breakneck AI race. Meta’s clear attempt to claw back some…

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Meta dropped three new models () over the weekend: Scout, Maverick, and the still-training Behemoth, billed as the next evolution of “open-ish” AI. But instead of excitement, the response was mostly shrugs. Critics called the release underwhelming, saying it lacked the edge expected in today’s breakneck AI race. Meta’s clear attempt to claw back some attention quickly turned messy. Accusations began circulating () on X and Reddit around benchmark tampering, a mystery ex-employee, and large gaps between the models’ public and private performance.

Today, on TechCrunch’s Equity () podcast, hosts Kirsten Korosec, Max Zeff and Anthony Ha are unpacking Meta’s rocky rollout, the AI industry’s obsession with looking smart on paper, and why, as Kirsten put it, “creating something to do well on a test doesn’t always translate to good business.”

Listen to the full episode to for:

• A breakdown of Trump’s latest tariff push, what you missed () and how companies () are bracing () for impact ()

• The secretive EV startup backed by Jeff Bezos () , and whether it was Bezos’s Plan B

• Colossal Biosciences’ Dire Wolf discovery, and whether or not the breakthrough justifies the startup’s $10B+ valuation ()

Equity will be back next week, so stay tuned!

Equity is TechCrunch’s flagship podcast, produced by Theresa Loconsolo, and posts every Wednesday and Friday. 

Subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts () , Overcast () , Spotify () and all the casts. You also can follow Equity on X () and Threads () , at @EquityPod. For the full episode transcript, for those who prefer reading over listening, check out our full archive of episodes here () .

Credits: Equity is produced by Theresa Loconsolo with editing by Kell. We’d also like to thank TechCrunch’s audience development team. Thank you so much for listening, and we’ll talk to you next time.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices ()

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CNET

First Look at Meta Hologram (Cool or Creepy?)

CNET editor at large Scott Stein got a first look (in more ways than one!) of Meta’s new photorealistic avatars, Meta Hologram. Hologram will be coming to Meta VR glasses and Meta Ray-Ban Display in spring 2027. #metaconnect #metavr #metaglasses #allthingsmobile #vr Read more about it on CNET.com Video Credits: Host: Scott Stein Video Editor:…

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September 24, 2026

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CNET editor at large Scott Stein got a first look (in more ways than one!) of Meta’s new photorealistic avatars, Meta Hologram. Hologram will be coming to Meta VR glasses and Meta Ray-Ban Display in spring 2027. #metaconnect #metavr #metaglasses #allthingsmobile #vr

Read more about it on CNET.com

Video Credits:
Host: Scott Stein
Video Editor: Faith Chihil

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CNET

Demo: 3D Meta Hologram Calls on Meta VR Glasses

Is this real life?! At Meta Connect 2025, Scott Stein found out what it’s like to take a Meta Hologram call on Meta’s upcoming VR glasses. #metaconnect #metaverse #metahologram #vr #allthingsmobile Read more about it on CNET.com Video Credits: Host: Scott Stein Video Editor: Faith Chihil Add CNET as a trusted news source Never miss…

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September 24, 2026

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Is this real life?! At Meta Connect 2025, Scott Stein found out what it’s like to take a Meta Hologram call on Meta’s upcoming VR glasses. #metaconnect #metaverse #metahologram #vr #allthingsmobile

Read more about it on CNET.com

Video Credits:
Host: Scott Stein
Video Editor: Faith Chihil

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CNET

Demo: Taking a Call With Meta Hologram

Imagine walking around doing chores while on a phone call, but all the person you’re talking to sees is you chatting with them normally. At Meta Connect 2026, we got a live demonstration of how phone calls and WhatsApp calls will look like with Meta’s photorealistic Hologram avatars coming to Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses. Even…

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September 24, 2026

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Imagine walking around doing chores while on a phone call, but all the person you’re talking to sees is you chatting with them normally.

At Meta Connect 2026, we got a live demonstration of how phone calls and WhatsApp calls will look like with Meta’s photorealistic Hologram avatars coming to Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses. Even if you don’t have a pair of Display glasses, you’ll be able to see the caller’s Hologram on your phone. #metaconnect #metaglasses #metahologram #vr #allthingsmobile

Read more about it on CNET.com

Video Credits:
Host: Scott Stein
Video Editor: Faith Chihil

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Never miss a deal again! See CNET’s browser extension 👉
Check out CNET’s Amazon Storefront:
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