Meta hires 28-year-old CEO to lead AI lab after $14.3B stake in scale AI
Meta is making one of its most significant strategic bets in the artificial intelligence space yet, with a whopping $14.3 billion investment in Scale AI — a company best known for providing the annotated data that powers large language models across the industry. In a bold and closely watched move, Meta has also appointed 28-year-old Alexandr Wang, Scale AI’s CEO, to lead a newly formed AI lab within Meta, according to The Verge.
As part of the deal, Meta has purchased a 49 per cent non-voting stake in Scale AI. This allows the tech giant to exert influence and integrate Scale’s data capabilities without inviting further antitrust scrutiny — a calculated legal step, especially given Meta's existing regulatory pressures in the US. Wang will now report directly to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, while remaining on Scale’s board. Former Scale AI chief strategy officer Jason Droege has stepped up as interim CEO of the startup.
Meta’s AI Reset: From Llama 4 to “Superintelligence”
This development comes on the heels of Meta’s underwhelming rollout of Llama 4, its latest large language model. Despite high expectations and months of teasing, the model — particularly its unreleased “Behemoth” version — failed to impress compared to rivals like OpenAI’s GPT-4, Google’s Gemini, and Anthropic’s Claude.
The Llama 4 launch was marred by delays, criticisms of inflated rankings, and underwhelming real-world performance. Now, with Wang at the helm of a dedicated AI lab, Meta appears to be rebooting its AI strategy, with a stated goal of building "superintelligence" systems — powerful general AI tools designed to rival the best in the world.
Zuckerberg, reportedly taking a hands-on role in this reshuffle, has been personally approaching AI researchers at other leading firms via cold emails and even WhatsApp messages. Many of these hires have been lured with aggressive compensation packages. The ultimate goal: assemble a dream team that can finally elevate Meta’s position in the high-stakes AI race.
Who Is Alexandr Wang?
Wang, once labelled the world’s youngest self-made billionaire, is already a prominent name in the AI infrastructure world. Scale AI, which he founded, is a key partner to giants like Google, OpenAI, and Anthropic, supplying the annotated data sets that fuel machine learning systems. The company has also been expanding into government work, including a five-year AI tools deal with Qatar and contracts with the US Department of Defense.
In a memo to Scale AI employees, Wang said Meta’s investment marked a “big milestone” and confirmed that existing shareholders and employees with vested equity would benefit financially from the deal, while still maintaining a stake in Scale’s future.
What’s particularly notable is Meta’s decision not to fully acquire Scale AI. By opting for a 49% stake with non-voting rights, Meta avoids the regulatory spotlight of a full acquisition. This approach gives Meta access to Scale’s strategic resources and leadership without triggering further legal battles.
It also leaves room for Scale AI to retain its independence and identity, especially in government partnerships that might require neutral operational status.
Meta has stated that Wang will lead the new AI lab focused on general intelligence, and more details are expected in the coming weeks. The company has been showcasing Meta AI, its in-house chatbot now integrated across WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook — claiming over one billion monthly users. A standalone Meta AI app was also launched, briefly hitting the top of the App Store before losing momentum.
But with OpenAI, Google DeepMind, and Anthropic accelerating their own breakthroughs, Meta is now making clear that it won’t be left behind.
This $14.3 billion deal is Meta’s most ambitious AI move yet, both in terms of capital and talent. Whether it will help the company reclaim its edge in the fast-evolving AI landscape remains to be seen — but it’s a statement that Meta is back in the race, and playing to win.