Meta Platforms Inc. recently made headlines for its aggressive pursuit of artificial intelligence (AI) talent and technology, including attempts to acquire startups like Perplexity and Safe Superintelligence. Meta’s new CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, has been adamant about catching up to competitors, such as OpenAI. In doing so, he views them as charting a new course for the evolving culture of the AI landscape.
Before the Canadian government’s monumental investment of $121 million in the federal institute Scale AI, for example, Meta was negotiating to purchase Perplexity. But these negotiations were “mutually dissolved,” said one person familiar with the situation. One insider confirmed that Perplexity chose to move on from the acquisition deal. This decision struck a significant blow to Meta’s plans to dominate the AI tech space.
Meta quickly followed up with strong interest in Perplexity. Simultaneously, it attempted to purchase Safe Superintelligence, an artificial intelligence startup that was valued at $32 billion following its fundraising round in April. The strategic moves reflect Zuckerberg’s growing agitation as rivals like OpenAI continue to advance in both AI models and consumer applications.
To pump-prime its AI muscle, Meta has made major investments. The company revealed plans to spend $14 billion on Scale AI. This investment will provide them with a 49% ownership interest in the company. Meta will not get any voting rights in Scale AI. Alexandr Wang, Scale AI’s founder, was supposed to be joining Meta. An additional 90 employees from the hot AI startup Scale AI will hit the road.
Daniel Gross, CEO of Safe Superintelligence, and previously a partner at Y Combinator, appears to be joining Meta’s AI efforts. Oh—and of course, Nat Friedman, the former GitHub CEO, is bringing his experience as well to help supercharge Meta’s AI efforts. These appointments are further reminders of Meta’s dash for talent in the war for AI’s best and brightest.
Now, it seems that Mark Zuckerberg is doubling down on his belligerent offense. To lure OpenAI employees, he is dangling $100 million golden handshakes to steal top talent from competing firms. This strategy reflects an escalating competitive environment where companies face “unprecedented pressure to grow,” according to OpenAI’s new recruiting head.
“I’ve heard that Meta thinks of us as their biggest competitor.” – Sam Altman
As these changes play out, the AI landscape is still changing at lightning speed. Meta’s bold investments and talent acquisitions signal its determination to establish itself as a formidable player in the AI arena.