Meta is making a bold move into advanced AI, spearheaded by the newly formed ‘Superintelligence Labs.’ This initiative, fueled by substantial investments and aggressive talent acquisition, signals a strategic shift away from the metaverse focus and towards delivering ‘personal superintelligence.’ The drive involves hefty compensation packages designed to lure top AI researchers from industry giants like OpenAI, Google, Apple, and Anthropic, sparking an intense talent war across Silicon Valley.
The formation of Superintelligence Labs included a restructuring of Meta’s existing AI division, with Alexandr Wang appointed as Meta’s chief AI officer, after Meta invested $14.3 billion in Scale AI. Reports suggest Meta may also move away from its open-source approach, favoring a closed model for its most advanced AI. Furthermore, Zuckerberg has announced plans to construct several multi-gigawatt data centers to support the immense computing power required for these AI endeavors.
The primary objective is to develop ‘personal superintelligence,’ seamlessly integrating AI with hardware devices, notably AR glasses. However, Meta’s aggressive recruitment tactics are already impacting the broader AI landscape, driving up salaries and creating internal tensions. The high-stakes venture is seen as crucial to Meta’s long-term future, but it also carries the risk of further employee attrition from those not selected for Wang’s team.