Meta is reportedly acquiring a 49% stake in Scale AI for nearly $15 billion, making this move one of its biggest external tech investments to date (second only to its $19 billion WhatsApp acquisition). Instead of a full buyout—which would likely draw antitrust scrutiny—this substantial minority stake grants Meta significant influence and access to Scale’s infrastructure while keeping the deal just below regulatory thresholds.

Building a Superintelligence Lab—Tightly Integrated

As part of the agreement, Alexandr Wang, CEO and founder of Scale AI, is set to join Meta and is expected to be a key figure in a new Superintelligence-focused R&D division. That lab is expected to consolidate Meta’s top AI researchers, including those behind LLaMA and FAIR, plus the Scale team and infrastructure—forming a unified task force dedicated to artificial general intelligence (AGI).

Why Scale AI Matters to Meta’s AGI Push

Scale AI is a critical player in AI infrastructure, providing the high-quality labeled data, model evaluation, and red-teaming services vital for training advanced AI systems.

The company is forecast to double revenue to around $2 billion in 2025, and is targeting a $25 billion valuation via tender offer. Scale AI also holds government contracts—including with the U.S. Department of Defense—and serves clients like OpenAI, Google, and Microsoft.

By embedding this capability in-house—through both investment and integration into its AGI lab—Meta gains unparalleled control over core elements of AI pipeline: data sourcing, vetting, alignment, and deployment.

Signaling Meta’s AI Ambitions

This deal is part of Mark Zuckerberg’s aggressive strategy to challenge rivals like OpenAI and Anthropic. Competitors have sealed multi-billion-dollar partnerships: Microsoft–OpenAI ($13 billion), Amazon/Google–Anthropic ($11 billion combined).

Meta’s $15 billion injection in Scale AI—and creation of a specialized Superintelligence lab—marks a major escalation. Internally, Meta had delays with its Behemoth Llama-based model, reinforcing the urgency to revamp their approach. Embedding Alexandr Wang directly into the company’s AGI engine signals a shift from external partnerships toward deep integration and internal capability-building.

Is Meta Finally in the Race?

Meta’s $15 billion investment for a 49% stake in Scale AI—and bringing Alexandr Wang aboard to head its Superintelligence lab—is being seen as a major play to redefine the company’s AI trajectory. It will transform Meta’s approach from decentralized research to strategic internal infrastructure development aimed squarely at AGI competitiveness.

Wang’s integration also signals a decisive pivot: by owning capabilities rather than contracting them, Meta is declaring a serious bid to lead the race to truly intelligent, autonomous AI systems.