- Joelle Pineau joins Cohere as Chief AI Officer to revamp AI research and products.
- Cohere focuses on secure, practical AI solutions for enterprises and governments.
- Talent acquisition and strategic research are central to staying competitive against AI giants.
Canadian AI startup Cohere is making a bold move to strengthen its position in the enterprise AI space by hiring Joelle Pineau, former VP of AI research at Meta. Pineau, a McGill University professor and co-developer of Meta’s open Llama models, joins Cohere as Chief AI Officer to oversee AI strategy across research, product, and policy teams.
Investors once poured nearly $1 billion into Cohere, expecting it to rival OpenAI and Anthropic. However, its AI models have lagged behind state-of-the-art systems, and its business growth has not matched larger competitors. Pineau’s arrival signals a renewed focus on research breakthroughs and product development tailored for enterprise and government clients.
Focus on Practical, Secure AI Solutions
Unlike its competitors chasing artificial general intelligence (AGI), Cohere emphasizes practical applications. Its latest product, North, is an AI agent platform designed for secure deployment within enterprise and government infrastructures. This approach positions Cohere against open-source solutions like DeepSeek and Meta’s local deployment models, offering the advantage of dedicated support and privacy-focused operations.
Pineau highlighted the potential of practical AI to deliver productivity gains across industries. “A lot of players are focused on AGI and superintelligence,” she said, noting that Cohere’s enterprise-centric approach can create tangible impact today while other companies pursue longer-term, uncertain AI milestones.
Talent and Research Challenges Ahead
Pineau’s first task will include managing the departure of Cohere’s VP of AI Research, Sara Hooker, while attracting new talent in a highly competitive AI market. Despite smaller resources compared with Meta or OpenAI, Pineau sees an opportunity to build an agile and effective team. “Hiring a bunch of superstars doesn’t necessarily make a superstar team,” she emphasized, underscoring the importance of collaboration.
It has been an incredible honor to spend the past few years leading @Cohere_Labs @cohere .
— Sara Hooker (@sarahookr) August 11, 2025
This has been the adventure of a lifetime. However, after much deliberation, I made a tough decision 2 months ago it is time to say goodbye.
As competitors invest billions to develop next-generation AI, Cohere is focusing on strategic, rapid research that can convert into market-ready solutions. Pineau’s leadership aims to accelerate innovation, strengthen product offerings, and reinforce Cohere’s position as a practical AI solution provider.
Also Read: Klarna AI Boosts Revenue to $1M per Employee
Cohere’s recruitment of Joelle Pineau marks a pivotal step in its evolution. With her experience guiding AI research at Meta and a renewed focus on enterprise solutions, Cohere hopes to close the gap with AI giants while delivering secure, real-world applications for clients.
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