Meta AI Launches Superintelligence Lab With Scale AI CEO
Meta the company associated with Mark Zuckerberg has announced its most ambitious artificial intelligence initiative to date to create a new Superintelligence Lab under former Scale AI CEO Alexandr Wang. This strategic reorganization forms part of the belligerent reaction of Meta to spurring rivalry by Open AI, Google, and other new entrants in the contentious effort to achieve an artificial common sense.
The new Meta Superintelligence Lab is a centralised group at the company to drive the company-wide research on AI towards the ultimate goal of creating artificial general intelligence. Wang, the founder who transformed Scale AI into one of the brightest data labeling corporations, is going to take on the role of chief AI officer to this innovation-level initiative. This appointment is an indication that Meta is taking the seriousness of competing with the industry leaders that have made considerable progress in recent months.
The move by the tech giant follows condemnation of its Llama 4 model receiving a cool reception among market users and the exit of major AI researchers. This hiccup has prompted Zuckerberg to facilitate a never-before-seen talent recruitment drive, wherein he makes direct contact with the targets via WhatsApp and offers remuneration packages worth a figure more than in the millions of dollars.
The hiring drive at Meta has been successful in acquiring some of the most renowned AI researchers from other companies. The firm was able to obtain former DeepMind scientists, Jack Rae, and Pei Sun, as well as several OpenAI vets, Jiahui Yu, Shuchao Bi, Shengjia Zhao, and Hongyu Ren. Furthermore, Joel Pobar, an ex-Meta employee who served the business for more than 10 years, has returned to Anthropic.
Talent pool of Safe Superintelligence, the startup founded by former OpenAI chief scientist Ilya Sutskever, will be incorporated as well into the Superintelligence Lab. The co-founder and CEO of the SSI, Daniel Gross, will join the new division at Meta and will contribute to the team with the experience he has in the fields of AI safety and development.
Wang will co-lead the Superintelligence Lab with former GitHub CEO, Nat Friedman and specifically work on the development of product and application of AI via applied research. This two-leadership system indicates that Meta aims at combining theory and practice to balance between theoretical developments and commercial uses.
The idea of AI supremacy at Meta does not consist only of staff hiring, but also of the huge sums of money invested. Recently, the company invested 14.3 billion dollars in Scale AI, showing that it does not hesitate to spend a fortune to acquire AI infrastructure and the ability. This investment is in line with the estimate that highlighted that major technology firms are likely to invest up to 320 billion dollars in the development of AI in 2020.
The business interests in this AI arms race have taken previously unknown dimensions. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman recently revealed that Meta had offered his talent $100 million in bonuses, trying to entice them away. It shows just how intense the competition is to get qualified AI researchers.
