Mark Zuckerberg has made his biggest bet on artificial intelligence yet as Meta invests $14 billion in Scale AI. The deal also includes the hiring of co-founder Alexandr Wang to lead a new AI research lab at the social media company.
Zuckerberg’s frustration with Meta’s standing in AI is clear, according to current and former employees. The company’s AI models and consumer-facing apps appear to be lagging behind rivals like OpenAI. To address this, Zuckerberg has been investing heavily in its GenAI team and reorganizing its Fundamental Artificial Intelligence Research unit.
Scale AI, a data-labelling and annotation startup, has gained significant traction with major tech companies like Google and Microsoft. The company’s CEO, Alexandr Wang, is known for his technical expertise and business acumen. He believes there is an “AI war” between the US and China, and that the US needs to invest heavily in AI to compete.
The deal marks a strategic move by Meta, which will take a 49% stake in Scale AI. Wang’s hire is seen as a major coup for Zuckerberg, who has traditionally put loyalists in high-ranking positions. The new AI research lab will help Meta improve its Llama family of AI models and gain collective intelligence on building better chatbots.
Meta’s move comes as it faces antitrust claims from the Federal Trade Commission. By taking a stake in Scale AI rather than acquiring the company, Meta appears to be avoiding further regulatory scrutiny.
Source: https://www.cnbc.com/2025/06/10/zuckerberg-makes-metas-biggest-bet-on-ai-14-billion-scale-ai-deal.html