Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is going all-in on artificial general intelligence (AGI), personally assembling a secretive team of AI experts in a high-stakes bid to make Meta the global leader in AI — and beat rivals like OpenAI and Google to the finish line.
Frustrated by the performance of Meta’s Llama 4 model and the delayed release of its next-generation AI, “Behemoth,” Zuckerberg has gone into what insiders call “founder mode.” He’s micromanaging the recruitment of a new elite unit dubbed the Superintelligence Group, hand-picking top researchers, engineers, and AI leaders himself, often after personal meetings at his homes in Palo Alto and Lake Tahoe.
The goal? Achieve AGI — artificial general intelligence — where machines can perform intellectual tasks on par with or better than humans. Once achieved, Meta plans to integrate AGI into its product ecosystem, including its chatbot, voice personalization tools, and AI-enhanced Ray-Ban smart glasses.
Mark Zuckerberg’s Billion-Dollar AI Play
The new team will sit close to Zuckerberg’s office in Menlo Park, reflecting how closely he’s managing its formation. He’s already created a WhatsApp group titled “Recruiting Party”, where top execs are exchanging talent leads around the clock. The group is expected to grow to around 50 people, including a new head of AI research.
In a parallel move, Meta is also finalizing a multi-billion dollar investment in Scale AI, a data infrastructure company that trains and customizes AI models for commercial and government use. Scale’s founder, Alexandr Wang, is expected to join the superintelligence effort, in what would become Meta’s largest external AI investment to date.
Why Now?
Meta has spent tens of billions on AI infrastructure in recent years — and plans to spend “hundreds of billions” more, according to Zuckerberg. With AI becoming the backbone of Meta’s advertising business, the pressure to lead in the next wave of innovation is immense. However, recent internal dissatisfaction with Llama 4 and worries over Behemoth’s underwhelming improvements have led to urgency at the top.
Mark Zuckerberg believes Meta’s healthy cash flow — unlike startups that rely on venture rounds — allows it to self-finance aggressive AI growth, including building massive multi-gigawatt data centers. It’s a strategic pitch he’s been using over intimate lunches and dinners to lure top-tier AI talent from competitors.
Can Meta Really Beat OpenAI?
The AI arms race is heating up. With OpenAI backed by Microsoft, Google deepening its efforts with Gemini, and Anthropic growing rapidly, Meta’s bold push is a gamble. However, Mark Zuckerberg’s hands-on pivot and personal investment in building this superintelligence team demonstrate that he’s more determined than ever to place Meta at the epicentre of AGI.
