Meta Bets $15B on Scale AI, Taps Founder for New AGI Lab
3 min. read
Published on
Share this article
Improve this guide
Read our disclosure page to find out how can you help MSPoweruser sustain the editorial team Read more
Meta is closing in on a roughly $14.8 billion deal to acquire a 49% stake in Scale AI. As part of the arrangement, the data-labeling company founded by Alexandr Wang will spearhead a newly created “superintelligence” research unit inside Meta.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has reportedly assembled a team of around 50 AI experts to accelerate the company’s AGI ambitions. This includes recruiting talent directly from OpenAI and Google, offering seven-to nine-figure compensation packages
Scale AI built its reputation by managing massive volumes of labeled data that power large language models and other advanced AI systems. In 2024, it recorded approximately $870 million in revenue and expects to exceed $2billion in 2025. Its valuation, previously about $13.8 billion, may nearly double to $25 billion following this deal.
Other recent Meta news –
- Meta’s AI Chatbots Allegedly Had Sexual Conversations with Minors – Here’s What the Investigation Found
- Meta Wins $168M Verdict Against NSO Group Over WhatsApp Spyware Breach
- Meta launches dedicated Meta AI App with Llama 4 and voice chat features
Meta’s aims to address criticism of its own LLaMA 4 failing to match competing models like DeepSeek. The stake in Scale gives Meta access to best-in-class training data and positions the company to refocus on core AI research. Alexandr Wang, who dropped out of MIT and went on to found Scale in 2016, will be joining Meta. His track record includes raising over $680 million from investors such as Founders Fund, achieving unicorn status in 2019, and becoming the youngest self-made billionaire.
This investment marks Meta’s largest external tech bet to date, echoing its high-stakes acquisitions of WhatsApp and Instagram. Instead of relying solely on internal development, Meta is now aligning itself directly with a major AI infrastructure player.
This partial acquisition also allows Meta to sidestep antitrust hurdles that could come from a full takeover, while still securing significant influence over Scale’s valuable data operations.
Only time will tell whether this bet pays off. Meta has the cash and the urgency, but catching up to industry leaders like OpenAI, Google DeepMind, Microsoft, and Anthropic won’t be easy. Meta must now prove it can turn this alliance into world-class AI innovation.
You may also be interested to read –
User forum
0 messages