Meta Platforms Inc. CEO Mark Zuckerberg has unveiled a significant reorganization of the company’s artificial intelligence division, underscoring a bold new commitment to building AI “superintelligence”—technology that can perform tasks on par with or even better than humans.
In a message to employees Monday, Zuckerberg announced the formation of Meta Superintelligence Labs (MSL), a new group that will consolidate and drive Meta’s advanced AI initiatives. According to an internal memo reviewed by Bloomberg, the group will be led by Alexandr Wang, the former CEO of data-labeling startup Scale AI, who Zuckerberg described as the “most impressive founder of his generation.” Wang will now serve as Meta’s chief AI officer.
Nat Friedman, former CEO of GitHub, will co-lead MSL with Wang, overseeing AI products and applied research. “As the pace of AI progress accelerates, developing superintelligence is coming into sight,” Zuckerberg wrote in the internal note. “I believe this will be the beginning of a new era for humanity, and I am fully committed to doing what it takes for Meta to lead the way.”
Zuckerberg reiterated Meta’s intention to invest aggressively in AI, with plans to spend “hundreds of billions” of dollars in the years ahead. That includes everything from infrastructure like chips and data centers to talent acquisition and startup investments. “There’s a meaningful chance that a lot of the companies are overbuilding now,” Zuckerberg acknowledged last summer. “But on the flip side, I actually think all the companies that are investing are making a rational decision, because the downside of being behind is that you’re out of position for, like, the most important technology for the next 10 to 15 years.”
Meta’s shares held steady Monday afternoon in New York after hitting a record intraday high of $747.90 earlier in the day.
The newly formed MSL unit will encompass existing Meta teams working on large language models, AI products, and the Fundamental AI Research (FAIR) group. Zuckerberg also revealed plans for “a new lab focused on developing the next generation of our models.”
AI has emerged as Zuckerberg’s top strategic priority this year, as Meta intensifies its battle with OpenAI and Alphabet’s Google to build best-in-class generative AI systems and personal assistants. Earlier in June, Meta made a $14.3 billion investment in Scale AI, bringing Wang onboard in the process. The company has also pursued deals with other startups like Perplexity AI Inc., Runway AI Inc., and is reportedly set to acquire PlayAI, a firm developing AI-generated voice technology.
Zuckerberg himself has taken an unusually hands-on role in recruiting talent for Meta’s AI teams, personally hosting prospective hires at his homes in Palo Alto and Lake Tahoe. The company has offered compensation packages reportedly in the tens of millions of dollars, including stock options, highlighting the fierce competition for top AI researchers.
As part of the MSL launch, Zuckerberg also revealed 11 new high-profile hires, including talent from OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google. The new team includes former DeepMind researchers Jack Rae and Pei Sun, as well as OpenAI veterans Jiahui Yu, Shuchao Bi, Shengjia Zhao, and Hongyu Ren. Also joining is Joel Pobar from Anthropic, who previously spent more than a decade at Meta. Bloomberg had previously reported some of these high-level additions.
Zuckerberg’s message to employees and the market is clear: Meta intends to lead the race toward superintelligence—and it’s pulling out all the stops to get there.
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