Meta bets big: Zuckerberg leans on ad revenue to outpace AI rivals

Mark Zuckerberg is intensifying Meta's AI ambitions by assembling a 50-person team, personally recruiting top talent to regain competitive ground after the lukewarm reception of Llama 4, Meta's latest large language model released in April.

The marquee recruit is Alexandr Wang, 28, founder of Scale AI, a company valued at $28 billion. Meta is negotiating a multi-billion dollar investment in Scale AI, which would be its largest external investment ever.

“We’re offering lucrative compensation packages to attract top AI talent from competitors,” a source said, highlighting Zuckerberg's commitment to outpacing rivals.

Unlike competitors such as OpenAI and Google, Meta benefits from robust advertising revenue, providing a significant funding advantage. Zuckerberg believes this financial strength will enable Meta to sustain its AI development without relying heavily on external investment rounds.

“Meta's strong advertising revenue gives it a funding advantage over rivals dependent on external investment rounds,” the report noted.

This strategic bet on ad revenue and talent acquisition underscores Zuckerberg's determination to position Meta at the forefront of AI innovation despite recent setbacks.

As the AI race heats up, Meta's approach combines financial muscle with aggressive recruitment to challenge established leaders in the field.

Mark Zuckerberg is leading Meta's aggressive AI push by recruiting top talent, including Alexandr Wang of Scale AI, backed by lucrative offers and a potential multi-billion dollar investment. Meta aims to leverage its strong ad revenue to outpace AI rivals like OpenAI and Google amid recent AI setbacks.