The AI talent wars have recently escalated as Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced a significant appointment within the company. On Friday, it was revealed that Shengjia Zhao, co-creator of ChatGPT and former lead scientist at OpenAI, will take on the role of chief scientist at Meta's Superintelligence Labs. This strategic move is expected to enhance Meta's position in the competitive landscape of artificial intelligence.
In his new capacity, Zhao will be responsible for setting the research agenda and scientific direction of the newly established Superintelligence Labs. This information was shared via a statement on Zuckerberg's Threads account, highlighting that Zhao co-founded the lab and has been its lead scientist since inception. The formalization of his leadership role comes at a time when Meta's recruitment efforts are reportedly progressing well, and the team is rapidly taking shape.
The announcement garnered mixed reactions online. While many AI enthusiasts celebrated Zhao's appointment, discussions also emerged regarding the role of Yann LeCun, who has been a significant figure in the AI industry since joining Meta (formerly Facebook) in 2013. LeCun serves as the chief AI scientist for Meta's Fundamental AI Research (FAIR) and has been pivotal in shaping the company's long-term AI strategies.
In response to inquiries about his position, LeCun took to LinkedIn to clarify that his focus remains on long-term AI research and the development of next-generation AI paradigms. He emphasized that both his role and the mission of FAIR are unchanged, a sentiment echoed by Zuckerberg and Alexandr Wang, the founder of Scale AI and Meta’s new chief AI officer. Both leaders confirmed LeCun's ongoing responsibilities through their respective social media platforms.
To understand the distinction between Meta's FAIR and the Superintelligence Labs, it's essential to note their different objectives. Established over a decade ago, FAIR primarily aims to advance AI technology, leading to the recent release of the open-source large language model, Llama, in 2023. In contrast, LeCun is now focused on developing innovative models, specifically world models, which have the potential to replace existing large language models.
According to an internal memo from Zuckerberg in June, the Superintelligence Labs serves as the overarching department that encompasses Meta’s FAIR, foundational research, and product teams. The objective of this new lab is to concentrate on creating personal superintelligence accessible to everyone, aiming to redefine the future of AI technology.
Alexandr Wang expressed his enthusiasm for Zhao's appointment, describing him as a brilliant scientist who has recently pioneered a groundbreaking scaling paradigm in AI research. In a post on X, Wang stated, "Shengjia will lead our scientific direction for our team." Meanwhile, LeCun has expressed eagerness to collaborate with Zhao to expedite the integration of new research into Meta's most advanced AI models, further cementing the company's commitment to innovation in the field.
