Meta, Facebook's parent company, has signed a hefty $14.8 billion check to acquire a 49% stake—without voting rights—in Scale AI, a Californian startup that has established itself as a key player in the artificial intelligence sector. This transaction is the second largest ever carried out by Mark Zuckerberg's group, behind the acquisition of WhatsApp in 2014. But be warned: this isn't a takeover. At least, not officially.
The Meta Transfer Window
In parallel with this stake acquisition, Meta is welcoming Alexandr Wang, the young CEO of Scale AI (28 years old), as well as several of the startup's employees. He is taking on a strategic position within Meta, with the mission of building a team dedicated to creating "artificial superintelligence." He will still sit on Scale AI's board of directors, while being subject to restrictions on access to the company's sensitive data.
This arrangement spares Meta a formal antitrust review from US authorities, which can generally only intervene in the context of an acquisition involving a direct takeover. However, the maneuver could still be scrutinized, particularly if it is perceived as a way to circumvent the law.
The deal raises questions within the industry. Internally, some Scale AI clients, such as Google, have already cut ties in response to Meta's presence. Others are considering distancing themselves, fearing an information leak or an overly strong dependence on a competitor.
Since the launch of ChatGPT, large tech companies have been looking to catch up in AI. Lacking time and internal flexibility, they now prefer to identify promising talent in startups and attract them with dazzling offers. Meta reportedly offered salaries of up to nine figures to poach key profiles from Google and OpenAI.
Despite colossal resources, the social media giant is struggling to establish itself as an AI leader against rivals like OpenAI, Google, and DeepSeek. The launch of the Llama 4 models last April disappointed developers: only two lightweight versions were put online, while the "Behemoth" model, supposed to rival the market leaders, remains in the wings.
According to several internal sources, Mark Zuckerberg himself slowed the release of these models: he doubted they would be up to scratch. This delay led to internal reorganizations, a loss of confidence, and a shift in strategic priorities: the FAIR research lab, historically central to Meta, was sidelined in favor of more product-oriented teams.
0 Comments