Meta invests $14.3B in AI firm Scale and recruits its CEO for "superintelligence" project
Meta, formerly known as Facebook, has made a significant move in the artificial intelligence (AI) space by investing a whopping $14.3 billion in the AI company Scale. This investment also includes recruiting Scale's CEO, Alexandr Wang, to join Meta's team working on developing "superintelligence." The strategic partnership and investment were announced on Thursday, signaling Meta's commitment to reviving its AI efforts to stay competitive in the tech industry.
The Partnership and Investment
The $14.3 billion investment in Scale has positioned the AI company's market value at over $29 billion. While Scale will continue to operate independently, Meta will hold a 49% stake in the startup, indicating a substantial expansion in their commercial relationship. Despite Wang's transition to Meta with a group of Scale employees, he will retain his position on Scale's board of directors. In his place, Jason Droege, the former chief strategy officer of Scale and a veteran of companies like Uber Eats and Axon, will step in as the new interim CEO.
Focus on Superintelligence
Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Meta, has redirected his focus towards advancing "superintelligence," a concept that rivals refer to as artificial general intelligence (AGI). This shift comes after Meta's significant investments in virtual reality and related technologies following the rebranding of the company to Meta in 2021. The move to prioritize superintelligence signifies Meta's strategic vision for the future of AI technologies.
Impact on the AI Industry
Meta's investment in Scale mirrors a trend in the tech industry where major companies acquire talent and products from innovative AI startups without formal acquisitions. This trend was exemplified by Microsoft's recruitment of key staff from startup Inflection AI and Google and Amazon's strategic moves in acquiring talent and technologies from smaller AI companies.
Future Prospects and Vision
With Meta's Chief AI Scientist, Yann LeCun, at the helm, the company is charting a distinctive path in the AI landscape. Meta's open-source approach with projects like Llama demonstrates a commitment to democratizing AI technologies for wider usage. LeCun's vision for Meta's AI research team is centered on achieving human-level AI systems and potentially surpassing human intelligence levels.
