Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has launched a new artificial intelligence division named Meta Superintelligence Labs in a strategic effort to realign the company’s AI ambitions. The division will be led by Alexandr Wang, former CEO of Scale AI, who now assumes the title of Chief AI Officer at Meta.
This move follows internal setbacks and external competition, notably a lackluster reception for Meta’s Llama 4 model and recent high-profile staff exits. Zuckerberg’s restructuring aims to regain competitive ground against industry giants like OpenAI, Google, and DeepSeek.
Meta Superintelligence Labs Assembles Elite Talent to Accelerate Artificial General Intelligence Development Goals
The newly formed division is focused on developing artificial general intelligence (AGI)—a form of AI capable of outperforming human intelligence. Zuckerberg envisions AGI as a long-term growth engine that could power Meta’s future product lines, including the Meta AI app, ad generation tools, and wearable smart devices like smart glasses.
He has aggressively recruited top AI talent, offering million-dollar pay packages and even contacting prospects directly via WhatsApp. Meta’s bold steps also include a $14.3 billion investment in Scale AI, signaling its serious commitment to the space.
Mark Zuckerberg Launches Meta Superintelligence Labs to Chase AGI and Revive AI AmbitionsThe Meta Superintelligence Labs will not only include former Scale AI employees but also Daniel Gross, co-founder of Safe Superintelligence (SSI), and Nat Friedman, former CEO of GitHub, who will co-lead the lab and head product and research initiatives.
The company has added 11 new hires, with top talent poached from OpenAI, Anthropic, DeepMind, and Google. Notable additions include Jack Rae, Pei Sun, and OpenAI alumni Jiahui Yu, Shuchao Bi, Shengjia Zhao, and Hongyu Ren, as well as Joel Pobar from Anthropic.
Big Tech’s Costly AI Talent War Highlights Soaring Investments and Uncertain AGI Future
The aggressive hiring spree has escalated tensions in the AI talent war. Reports suggest Meta offered $100 million bonuses to lure OpenAI employees. This mirrors broader trends in the AI arms race—Microsoft, for example, spent $650 million to acquire much of Inflection AI’s team, while Amazon attracted talent from Adept. Across the tech industry, AI-related investments are expected to hit $320 billion this year, illustrating the immense financial and strategic stakes involved.
Despite Meta’s ambitious push, analysts remain cautious. The company’s previous high-stakes project, Reality Labs, has consumed over $60 billion since 2020, with modest commercial success limited to devices like Ray-Ban smart glasses and Quest VR headsets. Critics fear that AGI may follow a similar path: high investment with uncertain payoff.
Even Meta’s own chief AI scientist, Yann LeCun, has expressed skepticism that current methodologies are sufficient for achieving AGI. Meanwhile, SoftBank’s Masayoshi Son optimistically predicts AGI could emerge within a decade—yet, for now, the goal remains distant and undefined.
