A $15 billion bet is shaking up the artificial intelligence landscape, and Meta’s not holding back.
Last week, Mark Zuckerberg showed just how committed he is to leapfrogging rivals in advanced AI by assembling an “AI superintelligence” group, bringing on killer talent with blockbuster pay, and scooping up a hefty stake in Scale AI. Alexandr Wang, Scale’s youthful founder and former roommate of OpenAI’s Sam Altman, is now at the center of Meta’s efforts.
Before Meta’s deal, Scale AI boasted many of the industry’s titans as clients. That changed fast after the investment. Google, previously Scale’s top customer, reportedly broke ties in concern, according to Reuters.
One analyst in the Valley labeled Zuckerberg’s move as what you’d expect from “a wartime CEO.”
For technology insiders, superintelligence is a holy grail: AI that can outperform humans at every task. AI has not reached that peak; current models can’t do everything people can, at least not yet.
Meta’s splashy commitment signals its willingness to do what it takes to compete after watching OpenAI and Google speed ahead. Recent attempts by Meta to impress with its own AI have landed flat, and its costly Metaverse gamble fizzled.
Now, with Wang onboard and billions on the table, Meta is hoping money and expertise will help it catch up, if not leap ahead.
Humans Push Back Against Machines — Wikipedia’s Stand
On a different front, Wikipedia’s editors have made clear their feelings about artificial intelligence getting too close to the heart of their work.
Just days ago, Wikipedia shut down a trial of AI-generated article summaries after stark criticism from its army of volunteer editors. “A truly ghastly idea,” one posted, while another flatly stated, “Keep AI out of Wikipedia.” Feedback was overwhelmingly negative. Most editors felt AI output would tarnish Wikipedia’s hard-earned reputation for accuracy and dependability.
Pacita Rudder, who leads Wikimedia New York City, put it this way: “We’re trying to figure out the balance between AI and Wikipedia. There are AI integrations that do happen on Wikipedia but are very minimal. Little things that make it easier for editors to do their work or readers to get the content they need.”
In contrast, both Wikipedia and Reddit know their vast text archives are coveted by the AI industry. Reddit, a for-profit player, has been quick to monetize access, while Wikipedia’s nonprofit model keeps more of its value public. Wikipedia introduced a paid data option in 2021 but still keeps core access free.
Wikipedia’s commitment to people power was front and center at the United Nations recently, where an in-person edit-a-thon gathered both seasoned editors and fresh recruits in a lively, collaborative scene that defies the stereotype of solitary online toiling.
“It’s community, right? There’s this misconception that a lot of Wikipedia editors are alone in their basements, typing away, but that’s not the case,” Rudder explained, highlighting the importance of human collaboration in maintaining the site.
While AI advances at meteoric speed, Wikipedia’s decision shows not everyone is ready to surrender trusted content to algorithms, no matter how sophisticated. News about recent AI startup fundraising shows this trend continuing beyond Meta, as record-setting investment rounds for AI companies are still surging, while wikipedia pauses use of ai-generated summaries demonstrates the ongoing pushback from human editors.
