Meta’s ongoing efforts to strengthen its AI division have been highlighted by Mark Zuckerberg’s continuous talent acquisition spree. Recent reports from CNBC revealed that Meta attempted to acquire Safe Superintelligence, a leading AI startup valued at $32 billion, co-founded by Ilya Sutskever, the former chief scientist at OpenAI.
Despite Sutskever declining Meta’s offer, the company is now in discussions to onboard Safe Superintelligence’s co-founder and CEO, Daniel Gross. Additionally, Meta is reportedly exploring the possibility of hiring former GitHub CEO Nat Friedman. Furthermore, Meta is said to be investing in Friedman and Gross’s joint venture firm, NFDG, which has shown a keen interest in backing notable AI startups like Perplexity and Character.AI.
The potential addition of Gross and Friedman to Meta’s AI superintelligence lab could significantly enhance the company’s capabilities. Both individuals bring valuable experience in managing and investing in AI research labs. In a related development, Meta recently welcomed Scale AI CEO Alexandr Wang and key executives from a prominent data labeling startup to bolster its team further.
