Meta has committed nearly $15 billion to acquire a 49% stake in Scale AI, valuing the data-labeling firm at roughly $29 billion. The deal includes bringing Scale’s CEO Alexandr Wang into Meta to establish a “superintelligence” AI lab, as part of Zuckerberg’s aggressive effort to reinforce AI strategy.
Meta’s Llama 4 model recently underperformed against industry benchmarks, prompting this strategic pivot. By partnering with Scale—whose clients include OpenAI, Google, and Microsoft—Meta gains access to large-scale labeled data and AI talent.
This agreement follows a growing trend among tech giants securing access to specialized talent and data through partial acquisitions. While seen by many as an “acquihire,” it also lays the groundwork for a deeper commercial data partnership.
Scale AI projects roughly $2 billion in revenue in 2025. This investment not only buys Meta near-term capacity but also positions it strongly in the race toward artificial general intelligence (AGI). Integrating Scale’s team—especially Wang and key researchers—could reinforce Meta’s ambition for a “superintelligence” edge.
Regulatory complexity is mitigated by the minority deal structure, avoiding full acquisition scrutiny. For Meta, this investment represents both talent acquisition and future data services—stepping forward from past AI limitations into a more capability-driven future.
