Mark Zuckerberg is directly spearheading Meta’s ambitious quest to develop Artificial General Intelligence, recruiting elite researchers with nine-figure packages and investing billions in Scale AI, in a bold bid to outpace rivals and reshape the future of AI.
In a decisive step that could redefine the landscape of artificial intelligence, Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Meta, is taking an unprecedented approach to build “superintelligence”—the company’s internal term for its ambitious goal of developing Artificial General Intelligence (AGI). By personally leading this initiative, Zuckerberg aims to accelerate Meta’s progress in AI, directly confronting rivals such as OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic.
Recent reports from major outlets indicate that Zuckerberg is personally involved in recruiting elite AI researchers, offering extraordinarily lucrative compensation packages that may reach into nine figures. Insiders have revealed that the new “Superintelligence” team, which currently numbers around 50 members, operates in close proximity to Zuckerberg’s office at Meta headquarters. Key to this effort is Alexandr Wang, the founder of Scale AI, who is set to lead Meta’s newly established lab focusing on advanced AI models that exceed human capabilities.
The stakes are high; AGI is often described as the holy grail of AI development, promising to revolutionise industries and society itself. However, achieving AGI is fraught with challenges, with many experts estimating that it could take decades to realise. Zuckerberg’s strategy hinges on aggressive hiring, substantial research investments, and a hands-on leadership style to potentially compress this timeline.
Frustration with Meta’s recent AI advancements, particularly the mixed reception of its Llama 4 language model and delays in the rollout of the anticipated ‘Behemoth’ AI model, has catalysed Zuckerberg’s direct involvement. According to reports, Meta is on the verge of investing approximately $15 billion to acquire a 49% stake in Scale AI, further indicating its commitment to this venture and adding assets to its arsenal in the competitive AGI race. Through this acquisition, Zuckerberg aims to sidestep regulatory scrutiny often associated with large mergers, which have plagued Meta in the past.
As Zuckerberg enhances his leadership role within Meta’s AI initiatives, he has restructured the company’s divisions to bring AGI research directly under his oversight. This bold move not only signifies the urgency of Meta’s ambitions but also underlines the intensity of the ongoing ‘AI arms race.’ Current strategies within the tech sector indicate that top-tier talent in AI, often a scarce resource, are now commanding salaries that reflect their market value—ranging from high six- to nine-figure sums.
Yet, the road ahead is not without its ethical dilemmas and regulatory challenges. The potential for AGI to disrupt various sectors raises profound questions about safety, accountability, and the ethical implications of AI systems developed to operate independently of human oversight. As competition among technology giants escalates, these conversations are expected to become even more pressing.
In the context of this evolving landscape, Zuckerberg’s involvement not only aims at harnessing world-class talent but also reflects an awareness of the broader implications of advanced AI technologies. Building superintelligence, while potentially transformative, necessitates concurrent discussions around responsible innovation and the social responsibilities of tech leaders in their pursuit of unprecedented technological power.
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Source: Noah Wire Services
- https://liveindia.tv/business/zuckerbergs-bets-big-on-concepts-of-superintelligence-hiring-the-best-minds-personally/ – Please view link – unable to able to access data
- https://www.axios.com/2025/06/10/meta-ai-superintelligence-zuckerberg – Meta is launching a new AI superintelligence lab, led by CEO Mark Zuckerberg, aiming to develop the world’s most advanced artificial intelligence platform. Reports from The New York Times and Bloomberg indicate that Meta is aggressively recruiting top AI talent, offering lucrative compensation packages ranging from seven to nine figures. Alexandr Wang, founder of Scale AI, is expected to join the initiative. This strategic move underscores the intensifying competition among tech giants in the race for AI supremacy, where cost appears secondary to acquiring pioneering capabilities. Both Meta and Scale AI have not commented publicly on the development.
- https://www.reuters.com/business/metas-zuckerberg-is-hiring-new-ai-team-bloomberg-news-reports-2025-06-10/ – Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta Platforms, is reportedly forming a new expert team to develop artificial general intelligence (AGI)—technology aimed at equaling or exceeding human cognitive capabilities, according to Bloomberg News. This initiative comes alongside Meta’s anticipated investment of over $10 billion in Scale AI, a data-labeling company founded by Alexandr Wang, who is expected to join the new AGI group once the deal is finalized. Frustration with Meta’s recent AI advancements, notably the mixed reception of its Llama 4 language model and delays in releasing its advanced ‘Behemoth’ AI model, partly motivates Zuckerberg’s decision. He plans to recruit approximately 50 people, including a new head of AI research, to lead the AGI team. This move reflects Meta’s efforts to compete with tech rivals like OpenAI, who are also intensifying their AGI development and seeking additional investment. Meta has yet to comment officially on the reported plans.
- https://www.reuters.com/business/meta-pay-nearly-15-billion-scale-ai-stake-information-reports-2025-06-10/ – Meta Platforms is set to acquire a 49% stake in artificial intelligence startup Scale AI for $14.8 billion, according to a report by The Information. Scale AI, founded in 2016, specializes in providing labeled training data essential for developing advanced AI tools like ChatGPT. The deal, though not finalized, is expected to benefit existing investors such as Accel, Index Ventures, Founders Fund, and Greenoaks, along with Scale AI’s employees. As part of the agreement, Scale AI CEO Alexandr Wang will join Meta to lead a new ‘superintelligence’ lab. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has been actively enhancing the company’s AI efforts, especially after its Llama 4 models underperformed and the flagship ‘Behemoth’ model was delayed. To sidestep regulatory scrutiny, the deal’s structure may be crafted to avoid triggering antitrust concerns, especially given Meta’s previous challenges surrounding its acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp. Scale AI was valued at $13.8 billion in a previous funding round and earned about $870 million in revenue in 2024, with a projection to exceed $2 billion in 2025. The firm ended last year with over $900 million in cash.
- https://www.ft.com/content/5e556c2e-2ba4-415a-adb6-1bf6bed498eb – Meta is planning a major investment of approximately $15 billion in Scale AI, a data-labeling start-up, acquiring a 49% stake that values the company at around $28 billion. This strategic move, making it one of the largest of its kind, is aimed at revamping Meta’s artificial intelligence initiatives and catching up to competitors like OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic. Meta also intends to hire Scale AI’s co-founder Alexandr Wang and top researchers to help establish a ‘superintelligence’ lab. This comes after lackluster responses to Meta’s latest AI model, Llama 4, which underperformed in reasoning and coding benchmarks. In contrast, its rivals have released more advanced models. Wang, known for his promotional skills rather than internal leadership, may be replaced as CEO by Jason Droege. The investment complicates Scale AI’s potential IPO plans and raises questions about employee futures. Scale AI has also been diversifying its revenue sources, targeting enterprise applications and government contracts. The deal mirrors similar strategic moves by Google and Microsoft, who have structured their acquisitions to avoid regulatory scrutiny but still face antitrust investigations.
- https://time.com/7012751/mark-zuckerberg/ – Mark Zuckerberg experienced a decline in influence a few years ago with Meta’s market valuation plummeting from $1.07 trillion in 2021 to $240 billion in 2022, due to safety scandals and heavy investments in the metaverse. However, Zuckerberg’s early involvement in AI since 2013 allowed Meta to adapt quickly after the generative AI boom ignited by ChatGPT. Meta’s Llama AI models are now among the industry’s most powerful, thanks in part to Zuckerberg’s decision to publish their neural networks online, fostering open-source collaboration. This strategy applied pressure on competitors and attracted talented AI researchers, despite Meta’s past monopolistic accusations and some criticisms of the ‘open-source’ restrictions. As a result, Meta’s stock has surged, and the company is now working towards artificial general intelligence.
- https://www.businessinsider.com/ai-talent-wars-big-tech-ceos-recruiting-paying-huge-packages-2024-4 – One tech worker with an AI background told Business Insider they were surprised last year to find Sam Altman, OpenAI’s cofounder and CEO, calling to effectively pitch them on joining the company. Although the person had already been interviewing there, hearing from Altman increased their desire to join, and they accepted an offer soon after the call. Another AI tech worker told BI they were similarly surprised to see Mark Zuckerberg, Meta’s cofounder and CEO, pop up in an email chain about a role they were being recruited for. The tech worker ultimately decided to join Meta, too. As the AI race heats up, tech companies are doling out large compensation packages and having famous CEOs personally woo talent amid an ongoing battle for a limited pool of people with AI experience — namely talented researchers, data scientists, and people with generative-AI skills and business acumen. ‘There is definitely some competing CEO emailing going on,’ said Dan Portillo, who’s the founder of Sweat Equity Ventures and a cofounder of The General Partnership. He said many companies were still ‘aggressively trying to hire AI researchers.’ Such roles are in demand because they focus on the large language models that underpin generative AI and the infrastructure it’s built on. BI spoke with several tech employees about how companies recruited them for their AI skills. The employees, whose identities BI has confirmed, asked to stay anonymous so they could speak freely.
