Latest news with #Mark Zuckerberg
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Meta's quest to dominate the AI world
Facebook parent Meta (META) is spending billions of dollars to grab the lead in the AI race, building out the data centers needed to develop and power high-end large language models. And now, the company is pouring billions more into snatching up top talent and technologies to grab the lead in the AI wars. In its latest hiring coup, Meta has poached three OpenAI ( researchers — Google DeepMind alums Lucas Beyer, Alexander Kolesnikov, and Xiaohua Zhai — from its Zurich office, The Wall Street Journal reported late Wednesday. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman claims that Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has offered the company's employees upward of $100 million to join his AI efforts. Meanwhile, Meta is reportedly in talks to bag Safe Superintelligence CEO Daniel Gross and former Github CEO Nat Friedman for its planned superintelligence lab. Zuckerberg was initially eyeing all of Safe Superintelligence, but was shot down by co-founder Ilya Sutskever, according to CNBC. The moves come after Meta invested $14.3 billion in AI startup Scale AI and hired its CEO and co-founder Alexandr Wang. That's not all: Meta also wanted to buy Perplexity AI ( but couldn't come to terms on a deal. 'Meta is doing this because they want to win the AI race, period,' Forrester analyst Mike Proulx told Yahoo Finance. 'AI is everything right now.' All of this follows Meta's decision to postpone the debut of its massive Llama 4 Behemoth AI model. According to The Wall Street Journal, the company won't launch the model until later this fall over concerns that it isn't a big enough upgrade over prior models. 'I think this is two things: No. 1 [is] confirmation that Llama is struggling,' Deepwater Asset Management managing partner Gene Munster told Yahoo Finance. 'And second, is [it's] also a sign that Zuckerberg is not OK with that.' For Meta, the goal is clear: bring in as much fresh talent as possible to push its AI program forward and take the lead in the AI wars. Meta's AI moves Meta's effort to rule the AI world differs from its chief rivals, OpenAI, Google, xAI, and others. Rather than closing off its AI models, the company offers them as open-source software that developers and companies can use on their own. Meta imposes some restrictions on how users can take advantage of its models. For instance, the company requires firms to request a license from Meta if their product has more than 700 million monthly active users. Regardless, Meta's ultimate goal is to get as many people as it's comfortable with using and developing products via its AI models. Why not charge everyone who wants to access its software? Because Meta benefits every time a company alters its models, giving it greater insights into how it can improve them down the line. Meta isn't terribly interested in selling access to its models, either. The company primarily uses its AI to power its advertising and content recommendation services, unlike, say, Microsoft (MSFT), which sells its AI services as part of its productivity software packages, among other things. Meta CFO Susan Li told investors during the company's most recent earnings call that it saw a 4% increase in user time spent on the Threads app since introducing Llama to its recommendation systems at the end of last year. Meta is also leaning on its AI models to provide the intelligence for its hardware products including its Ray-Ban Meta smartglasses and other future AI-powered devices. 'Why Meta is making these moves is that they've got a ton of money, and so with that money, they are in a good position to, if they can't build it themselves, acquire the talent and capabilities necessary to …leapfrog the competition,' Proulx explained. But Meta isn't the only company circling Silicon Valley's AI upstarts. Apple is also reportedly looking into bagging its own AI company as the iPhone maker looks to improve its own AI fortunes. Apple was supposed to release an AI-powered version of Siri earlier this year, but has pushed the rollout until later this year as it contends with its own development difficulties. To that end, Apple has also discussed purchasing Perplexity AI, according to Bloomberg. While a spokesperson for Perplexity said the company has no knowledge of current or future M&A discussions, they added, 'It shouldn't be a surprise that the best OEMs in the world want to offer the best search and most accurate AI for their users, and that's Perplexity.' Apple rival Samsung is also reportedly looking to add Perplexity to its devices. For Meta, it will all come down to whether it can woo the right people from the right AI firms to join its AI push and catapult the company into the pole position in the AI race. If it can't, the social media giant could find itself falling further without a clear path forward. Email Daniel Howley at dhowley@ Follow him on X/Twitter at @DanielHowley. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Fox News
2 days ago
- Business
- Fox News
Meta builds world's largest AI superclusters for the future
What happens when one of the world's richest companies decides to go all-in on artificial intelligence? If you're Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg, it means launching superclusters so large they could rival the footprint of Manhattan. Recently, Zuckerberg unveiled plans to invest "hundreds of billions of dollars" into next-generation AI infrastructure, including some of the largest compute clusters the world has ever seen. Meta's first supercluster, called Prometheus, is slated to go live in 2026. But that's just the beginning. Another cluster, Hyperion, is being designed to scale up to a mind-blowing 5 gigawatts of compute power over the next few years. "We're building multiple titan clusters," Zuckerberg said in a Facebook post. "Just one of these covers a significant part of the footprint of Manhattan." Sign up for my FREE CyberGuy ReportGet my best tech tips, urgent security alerts, and exclusive deals delivered straight to your inbox. Plus, you'll get instant access to my Ultimate Scam Survival Guide - free when you join my The answer is simple: compute power is now the most valuable resource in AI development. As generative AI, robotics and large language models become more sophisticated, they demand exponentially more data and processing capacity. Meta's planned superclusters, beginning with Prometheus, will be capable of training ultra-large AI models faster and more efficiently than ever before. According to industry publication SemiAnalysis, Meta could become the first AI company to launch a supercluster exceeding one gigawatt of compute power. That's a serious leap and a direct shot at competitors like OpenAI, Google DeepMind and Anthropic. To supercharge this effort, Meta recently launched Meta Superintelligence Labs, a new elite division focused entirely on next-gen AI development. The lab is being led by Alexandr Wang, former CEO of Scale AI, and Nat Friedman, ex-GitHub chief. In a major signal of intent, Meta invested $14.3 billion in Scale AI and has reportedly poached top talent from Apple, OpenAI and Anthropic to join the effort. "I'm focused on building the most elite and talent-dense team in the industry," Zuckerberg said. He's putting his money where his mouth is, literally. Meta is offering some AI recruits up to $100 million in compensation as it rushes to assemble a dream team of AI researchers and engineers. It's no secret that Meta has struggled to keep pace with the AI breakthroughs happening at rival labs. The company's Llama 4 large language models received a lukewarm reception earlier this year. Now, Meta is retooling. The investment in infrastructure, talent, and research is Zuckerberg's way of leveling the playing field-and possibly pulling ahead. In April, Meta increased its 2025 capital expenditures to $64-72 billion, a massive chunk of which will go toward AI development. These numbers aren't just headline-grabbing, they're a clear signal that Meta is done playing catch-up. You might be wondering how Meta's massive investment in AI superclusters actually affects your life. As Meta builds out these enormous compute clusters, the AI systems they train will become faster, smarter and more deeply integrated into the apps and services you already use. Everything from your Instagram feed to your Facebook search results will be powered by increasingly intelligent algorithms. Virtual assistants will respond more naturally, recommendations will become eerily accurate, and features in Meta's AR and VR platforms, like Meta Quest, will get significantly more advanced. Even the ads you see will be more personalized, based on AI's growing ability to predict what you might want before you even search for it. In short, while you might not see these superclusters, you'll definitely feel their impact, every time you scroll, swipe, tap or speak to an AI-powered device. Meta isn't just investing in AI. It's reshaping the future of it. With billions earmarked for superclusters, an elite team of researchers and cutting-edge infrastructure, the company is placing one of the largest tech bets in history. If it succeeds, Meta could lead the next era of AI. If it fails, it will have spent unprecedented sums chasing a dream that others already control. Is Meta building the future of AI or just trying to buy its way back into the race? Let us know by writing us at Sign up for my FREE CyberGuy ReportGet my best tech tips, urgent security alerts, and exclusive deals delivered straight to your inbox. Plus, you'll get instant access to my Ultimate Scam Survival Guide - free when you join my Copyright 2025 All rights reserved.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Priscilla Chan's recruiting pitch? We can't pay as well as tech companies, but we've got GPUs
Mark Zuckerberg's Meta is betting on GPUs and compute power to help attract top talent. His philanthropic organization, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, is doing the same. His wife, Priscilla Chan, talked about CZI's recruitment efforts on a recent podcast episode. Compute power is a big draw for top talent, but not just in the world of AI. Priscilla Chan, Mark Zuckerberg's wife and the cofounder of the couple's philanthropic organization, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, spoke about the appeal of massive GPU clusters for biology researchers during a recent episode of Ashlee Vance's "Core Memory" podcast. "The other thing researchers really care about is access to GPUs," she said. "You're not going to make the most of someone if you don't actually have the GPUs for them to work from." Chan said, "We have that at CZI," adding that the organization has roughly 1,000 GPUs in its cluster, with plans to keep growing. In short, Chan said the pitch is: "Come work with us because we're going to have the computing power to support the research that you want to do." Another important factor is compensation, which she said is "obviously important," though she added that "we cannot compete with tech companies on this." CZI has in recent years narrowed its mission to focus on its "next phase" with a "bolder, clearer identity as a science-first philanthropy." The change marks a strategic shift, as the organization previously also supported education and other causes. "While CZI remains committed to our work in education and our local communities, we recognize that science is where our biggest investments and bets have been and will be made moving forward," Chan, a pediatrician by training, wrote in a memo to staff last year. Zuckerberg made a similar point about the importance of GPUs in recruiting on a recent episode of The Information's TITV show. Meta is spending billions to build an AI division it calls Superintelligence Labs. "Historically, when I was recruiting people to different parts of the company, people are like, 'Okay, what's my scope going to be?'" the Meta CEO said. "Here, people say, 'I want the fewest number of people reporting to me and the most GPUs.'" Meta, of course, has significantly more GPUs than CZI. Zuckerberg has said the company will have 1.3 million GPUs for AI by the end of 2025. "Having basically the most compute per researcher is definitely a strategic advantage, not just for doing the work but for attracting the best people," he said. Read the original article on Business Insider Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Priscilla Chan's recruiting pitch? We can't pay as well as tech companies, but we've got GPUs
Mark Zuckerberg's Meta is betting on GPUs and compute power to help attract top talent. His philanthropic organization, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, is doing the same. His wife, Priscilla Chan, talked about CZI's recruitment efforts on a recent podcast episode. Compute power is a big draw for top talent, but not just in the world of AI. Priscilla Chan, Mark Zuckerberg's wife and the cofounder of the couple's philanthropic organization, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, spoke about the appeal of massive GPU clusters for biology researchers during a recent episode of Ashlee Vance's "Core Memory" podcast. "The other thing researchers really care about is access to GPUs," she said. "You're not going to make the most of someone if you don't actually have the GPUs for them to work from." Chan said, "We have that at CZI," adding that the organization has roughly 1,000 GPUs in its cluster, with plans to keep growing. In short, Chan said the pitch is: "Come work with us because we're going to have the computing power to support the research that you want to do." Another important factor is compensation, which she said is "obviously important," though she added that "we cannot compete with tech companies on this." CZI has in recent years narrowed its mission to focus on its "next phase" with a "bolder, clearer identity as a science-first philanthropy." The change marks a strategic shift, as the organization previously also supported education and other causes. "While CZI remains committed to our work in education and our local communities, we recognize that science is where our biggest investments and bets have been and will be made moving forward," Chan, a pediatrician by training, wrote in a memo to staff last year. Zuckerberg made a similar point about the importance of GPUs in recruiting on a recent episode of The Information's TITV show. Meta is spending billions to build an AI division it calls Superintelligence Labs. "Historically, when I was recruiting people to different parts of the company, people are like, 'Okay, what's my scope going to be?'" the Meta CEO said. "Here, people say, 'I want the fewest number of people reporting to me and the most GPUs.'" Meta, of course, has significantly more GPUs than CZI. Zuckerberg has said the company will have 1.3 million GPUs for AI by the end of 2025. "Having basically the most compute per researcher is definitely a strategic advantage, not just for doing the work but for attracting the best people," he said. Read the original article on Business Insider Sign in to access your portfolio
The Guardian
7 days ago
- Business
- The Guardian
Zuckerberg says Meta will build data center the size of Manhattan in latest AI push
Mark Zuckerberg proclaimed that Meta would spend hundreds of billions of dollars on developing artificial intelligence products in the near future and, to that end, construct a data center planned to be nearly the size of Manhattan. The parent company of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp is among the large tech companies that have struck high-profile deals, and doled out multimillion-dollar pay packages to AI researchers in recent months – some as high as $100m – to fast-track work on machines that could outthink humans on many tasks, a concept known as 'super-intelligence' or 'artificial general intelligence'. Its first multi-gigawatt data center, dubbed Prometheus, is expected to come online in 2026, while another, called Hyperion, will be able to scale up to 5 gigawatts over the coming years, Zuckerberg said. 'We're building multiple more titan clusters as well. Just one of these covers a significant part of the footprint of Manhattan,' the billionaire CEO said. This article includes content provided by Facebook. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. To view this content, click 'Allow and continue'. He also pointed to a report from industry publication SemiAnalysis that Meta was on track to be the first AI lab to bring a gigawatt-plus supercluster online. Zuckerberg touted the strength in the company's core advertising business to justify the massive spending amid investor concerns on whether the expenditure would pay off. 'We have the capital from our business to do this,' he said. The company, which generated nearly $165bn in revenue last year, reorganized its AI efforts last month under a division called Superintelligence Labs after setbacks for its open-source Llama 4 model and key staff departures. It is betting that the division will generate new cashflows from the Meta AI app, image-to-video ad tools and smart glasses. Sign up to TechScape A weekly dive in to how technology is shaping our lives after newsletter promotion DA Davidson analyst Gil Luria said Meta was investing aggressively in AI as the technology has already boosted its ad business by allowing it to sell more ads and at higher prices. In recent weeks, Zuckerberg has personally led an aggressive talent raid for the Meta Superintelligence Labs, which will be led by former Scale AI CEO Alexandr Wang and ex-GitHub chief Nat Friedman, after Meta invested $14.3bn in Scale. Meta had raised its 2025 capital expenditure predictions to between $64bn and $72bn in April, aiming to bolster the company's position against rivals OpenAI and Google.
