In Pursuit of Godlike Technology, Mark Zuckerberg Amps Up the A.I. Race
In April, Mark Zuckerberg's lofty plans for the future of artificial intelligence crashed into reality.
Weeks earlier, the 41-year-old chief executive of Meta had publicly boasted that his company's new A.I. model, which would power the latest chatbots and other cutting-edge experiments, would be a 'beast.' Internally, Mr. Zuckerberg told employees that he wanted it to rival the A.I. systems of competitors like OpenAI and be able to drive features such as voice-powered chatbots, people who spoke with him said.
But at Meta's A.I. conference that month, the new A.I. model did not perform as well as those of rivals. Features like voice interactions were not ready. Many developers, who attended the event with high expectations, left underwhelmed.
Mr. Zuckerberg knew Meta was falling behind in A.I., people close to him said, which was unacceptable. He began strategizing in a WhatsApp group with top executives, including Chris Cox, Meta's head of product, and Andrew Bosworth, the chief technology officer, about what to do.
That kicked off a frenzy of activity that has reverberated across Silicon Valley. Mr. Zuckerberg demoted Meta's vice president in charge of generative A.I. He then invested $14.3 billion in the start-up Scale AI and hired Alexandr Wang, its 28-year-old founder. Meta approached other start-ups, including the A.I. search engine Perplexity, about deals. And Mr. Zuckerberg and his colleagues have embarked on a hiring binge, including reaching out this month to more than 45 A.I. researchers at rival OpenAI alone and offering them compensation packages as high as $100 million each, two people with knowledge of the matter said. Four OpenAI researchers have accepted offers from the company.
Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Business Insider
22 minutes ago
- Business Insider
MrBeast is killing his video thumbnail generator after creators revolted — but it won't stop the AI tide
MrBeast is shuttering an AI thumbnail generator after backlash from the creator community. YouTube's biggest star was receptive to criticism from his peers. Will Meta, TikTok, or YouTube listen if their AI tools spark similar outrage? The feature allowed users to generate video thumbnails by mimicking aspects of existing video art, including swapping in faces and other modifications. "You've made something that can steal my (and my artists) hard work without a thought," Twitch and YouTube streamer PointCrow (Eric Morino) wrote on X. Now, MrBeast is backpedaling. In a video posted Thursday, he said he's killing the AI feature and instead directing users of his Viewstats platform to hire human designers. "I care more than any of you could ever imagine about the YouTube community," he said. "It deeply makes me sad when I do something that people in the community are upset by." The backlash to MrBeast's tool shows the tightrope walk that companies must navigate when introducing AI features for creators. There's a fine line between automating work to help influencers save time, and offering shortcuts that creators view as displacing or stealing their work. AI is coming hard for creators MrBeast's thumbnail generator is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to disruptive AI tech hitting the creator community. Meta, TikTok, and YouTube are all marching forward with AI tools that will change how videos are made, and what ultimately gets watched. And I'd wager they're going to be less receptive than MrBeast to backlash. TikTok users can now turn static photos into AI-generated videos, and YouTube is planning to bring its AI video generator tool Veo 3 to Shorts this summer. If Veo 3 is good enough to produce a TV commercial, it's likely to make a big splash on YouTube. YouTube CEO Neal Mohan said earlier this month that he's "incredibly excited by the potential of AI tools to empower human creativity." You'd be hard pressed to find a creator platform that's not getting overrun with AI these days. Pinterest users are finding AI images are taking over their grid, and music streamer Deezer recently revealed that 18% of all new songs uploaded to its platform are fully AI-generated. There's even a wave of startups helping users automate the entire process of creating and uploading videos to TikTok. Creators can rage against MrBeast, but the biggest players in generative AI are racing ahead. Even as MrBeast has shuttered his short-lived AI thumbnail generator, it's still incredibly easy for creators to generate thumbnails using other AI tools from the likes of OpenAI and Midjourney.
Forbes
33 minutes ago
- Forbes
The AI Education Gap: Why Schools Need Policies Now
Schools need clearer AI policies that support teachers and students. American educators have rapidly adopted AI, but a critical gap has emerged: most schools aren't teaching students how to use these powerful AI tools responsibly. Sixty percent of teachers now report using AI in their lessons, yet a stark disconnect exists between AI adoption and implementation. Survey data from the RAND American Educator Panels indicate that only 25% of teachers have integrated AI into their instruction, while 35% stated that their school has established guidelines for AI use, and 27% reported that their school has no AI rules in place. This disparity reveals a concerning pattern across U.S. K-12 education: AI tools like ChatGPT are proliferating in classrooms without the necessary guardrails or educational frameworks to maximize their potential. Teachers Adopt AI, Schools Lag Behind The numbers tell a story of individual innovation outpacing institutional planning. While three in five teachers experiment with AI tools, only one in four has moved beyond casual use to meaningful classroom integration. Teachers describe using AI for lesson planning, generating discussion prompts, and creating differentiated materials. Some craft personalized math problems for students interested in sports statistics or business scenarios. Others use AI to translate materials for English language learners or generate reading comprehension questions at varying difficulty levels. However, this experimentation often occurs in isolation. Without formal training or institutional support, educators navigate AI implementation through trial and error. AI Policy Vacuum Creates Wild West Environment More than eight in ten schools operate without clear guidelines on when, how, or whether to use AI in educational settings. This approach leaves teachers uncertain about boundaries: The absence of guidance creates inconsistent experiences for students. AI use might be encouraged in one classroom, prohibited in another, and ignored entirely in a third—all within the same building. Missing the AI Educational Opportunity The real challenge isn't AI adoption—it's educating about AI. Schools that rush to implement tools without teaching responsible use miss a fundamental opportunity to prepare students for a technology-integrated future. Students require instruction on prompt engineering, understanding AI limitations, recognizing bias in AI-generated outputs, and maintaining academic integrity when utilizing AI assistance. These skills represent essential digital literacy for the next generation. Some forward-thinking educators have begun incorporating AI literacy into their curricula. Students learn to critically evaluate AI-generated content, understand when human expertise remains irreplaceable, and develop strategies for ethical collaboration with AI. The AI Integration Challenge Proper integration requires rethinking lesson design, assessment strategies, and learning objectives. It requires understanding how AI can enhance, rather than replace, critical thinking, creativity, and human connection in the educational process. Teachers deserve clear direction and dedicated time to master these tools effectively. Professional development cannot be a one-time workshop or brief orientation. Instead, educators deserve ongoing training that recognizes the rapidly advancing capabilities of AI. This includes practical sessions on tool selection, classroom management with AI present, and designing assignments that leverage AI strengths while developing student capabilities. Equally important is teaching students to develop discernment and ethical practices regarding the use of AI. Students must learn to critically evaluate AI-generated content, understanding when outputs may contain errors, bias, or inappropriate information. They need instruction on academic integrity boundaries—when AI assistance enhances learning versus when it undermines skill development. Successful AI integration also requires teaching students to ask better questions. The quality of AI responses depends heavily on prompt engineering skills. Students who learn to craft thoughtful, specific prompts develop stronger analytical thinking than those who rely on basic queries. Ethical considerations extend beyond cheating prevention. Students should understand AI's limitations, recognize when human expertise remains essential, and develop strategies for maintaining their own creative and critical thinking abilities while using AI as a collaborative tool. Without this foundation of discernment and ethics, AI tools risk becoming crutches rather than enhancement tools that prepare students for responsible AI use throughout their academic and professional careers. Building A Responsible AI Culture Schools that have successfully integrated AI share common characteristics: clear policies, comprehensive teacher training, and explicit instruction on responsible use. These institutions treat AI as they would any powerful educational tool—with intentionality, preparation, and ongoing evaluation. They establish guidelines that protect academic integrity while encouraging innovation. At WIT (Whatever It Takes), the educational organization I founded in 2009, we recognized early that AI adoption required proactive policy development and usage practices. This led us to create WITY, a platform that teaches AI usage with transparency and accountability. Our experience revealed how schools can effectively integrate AI tools while maintaining educational integrity. The AI Path Forward Schools can either harness AI's educational potential through thoughtful implementation or allow haphazard adoption, which can undermine learning outcomes. Three priorities emerge for educational leaders: Develop comprehensive AI policies that provide clear guidance for educators and students while remaining flexible enough to evolve with rapidly changing technology. Invest in educator training that moves beyond basic tool familiarity to pedagogical integration and ethical considerations. Develop AI literacy curricula that educate students to utilize these tools effectively, responsibly, and with a comprehensive understanding of their capabilities and limitations. The 60% adoption rate demonstrates educators' recognition of AI's potential. Now, schools must catch up with policies, training, and instruction that match this technological enthusiasm with educational wisdom. Students deserve more than exposure to AI tools—they need education about how to wield them thoughtfully. The future workplace will demand these AI skills. Schools that act now to build responsible AI integration will prepare students for success. Those that don't risk leaving graduates behind in an increasingly AI-integrated world. The AI technology has arrived in classrooms. The question now is whether schools will rise to meet the educational moment.
CNBC
37 minutes ago
- CNBC
Jim Cramer says buy this bank stock — plus Street analyst names Meta a top pick
Every weekday the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer holds a "Morning Meeting" livestream at 10:20 a.m. ET. Here's a recap of Friday's key moments. 1. The S & P 500 hit a new record high on Friday as investor optimism builds that trade deals are coming. The U.S. and China confirmed an agreement that would allow for rare earth exports along with easing of technology restrictions. Core PCE, the Federal Reserve's favorite measure of inflation, came in slightly ahead of expectations and bond yields are unchanged. "Basically, the data is not going to impact the market," Jim Cramer said. "We continue just to levitate higher in the market, [with] a lot of it being driven by AI," said Jeff Marks director of portfolio analysis for the Club. Magnificent Seven stocks are also making a big comeback, with portfolio name Amazon now in positive territory for the year. We took some profits in Disney Friday morning with the stock's return this year double that of the S & P 500. 2. Capital One acquisition of Discover puts it in a position to make more money from debit cards than its peers, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal. And yet, Capital One still trades at a major discount to rival American Express . "I think people should still be buying the stock," Jim said. The Club initiated a position in Capital One back in March, with a $250 price target. 3. Piper Sandler named Meta a top large cap pick and raised its price target on shares to $808 from $650. According to the analysts, Meta's AI investments are transforming advertising technology with tools that can push mid-teen revenue growth for multiple years. We recently wrote about the secret AI sauce behind Meta's huge stock rally since 2022. "It's my favorite right now of the mega caps," Jim said. "I don't think people realize how powerful this [Meta's ad tech] is." 4. Stocks covered in Friday's rapid fire at the end of the video were: Nike , JP Morgan , Bank of America , and Molson Coors . (Jim Cramer's Charitable Trust is long AMZN, COF, DIS, META. See here for a full list of the stocks.) As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade. Jim waits 45 minutes after sending a trade alert before buying or selling a stock in his charitable trust's portfolio. If Jim has talked about a stock on CNBC TV, he waits 72 hours after issuing the trade alert before executing the trade. THE ABOVE INVESTING CLUB INFORMATION IS SUBJECT TO OUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND PRIVACY POLICY , TOGETHER WITH OUR DISCLAIMER . NO FIDUCIARY OBLIGATION OR DUTY EXISTS, OR IS CREATED, BY VIRTUE OF YOUR RECEIPT OF ANY INFORMATION PROVIDED IN CONNECTION WITH THE INVESTING CLUB. NO SPECIFIC OUTCOME OR PROFIT IS GUARANTEED.
