In the heated global race for generative AI, Meta has decided to aggressively recruit top talent from other firms, offering millions of dollars to secure their services. On Friday, Mark Zuckerberg announced on Threads the appointment of Shengjia Zhao, one of the researchers behind ChatGPT, as the new Chief Scientist of Superintelligence Labs, a brand-new facility established by Meta to develop cutting-edge AI models.
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A Key Hire for Meta
Shengjia Zhao is far from a newcomer to the field. A former researcher at OpenAI and professor at Stanford, he has played a significant role in laying the scientific groundwork for the early GPT models. His move to Meta sends a clear signal: the Menlo Park-based company is determined to catch up with frontrunners like OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic, known for their powerful and versatile AI systems.
By bringing in a talent of Zhao’s stature, Meta is adopting a bold, albeit imitative, strategy. “We are building our own version of open and responsible superintelligence,” Zuckerberg stated in his post, echoing sentiments similar to those of Sam Altman of OpenAI and Demis Hassabis at DeepMind.
What is Superintelligence Labs?
Superintelligence Labs is part of a major overhaul of the FAIR unit (Facebook AI Research). Notably, Meta now boasts two top engineers, including Yann LeCun, former head of FAIR. Although FAIR was initially a trailblazer, its influence has waned recently due to advancements by its competitors.
With this new initiative, Meta aims to develop large language models (LLMs) that not only compete with systems like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini but are also integrated into its flagship products: Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Reality Labs.
Shengjia Zhao’s role will involve steering long-term scientific research with a particular focus on safety, model alignment, and energy efficiency—critical themes in the AI industry.
A Strategic Challenge for Meta
With this recruitment, Meta aims to regain the initiative in AI, striving not just to keep pace with OpenAI but to lead. Although Meta has already incorporated its LLaMA model into some of its services, it still lags behind in the realm of public AI assistants and widely adopted professional tools. The addition of Shengjia Zhao could signal the start of a new era of innovation for Meta—provided that the research quickly translates into tangible products.