Meta is making its first major minority investment in an outside company as it tries to catch up to a growing field of artificial intelligence rivals.

Meta is making a $14.3 billion investment in artificial intelligence company Scale and recruiting its CEO Alexandr Wang to join a team developing “superintelligence” at the tech giant.

Meta's acquisition of Scale AI for a reported US$14.3 billion marks a significant step in its push to strengthen artificial intelligence capabilities, joining the growing wave of US tech giants leveraging acqui-hire deals to stay competitive in the generative AI race.

Alexandr Wang dropped out of MIT to co-found Scale and was quickly lauded as one of Silicon Valley's most promising entrepreneurs, raising funding from blue-chip venture capital firms and achieving billionaire status in his 20s.

Meta invests $14.3B in Scale AI to fuel a new superintelligence lab—gaining infrastructure and leadership, but raising doubts about Scale’s future.

Data-labeling firm Scale AI confirmed on Friday that it has received a "significant" investment from Meta that values the startup at $29 billion.

Meta Platform Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg’s efforts to shape up the company’s artificial-intelligence ambitions took a step forward with an investment in ScaleAI and the poaching of its founder. Meta’s investment values the data-labeling AI startup at over $29 billion,

With Scale AI founder and CEO Alexandr Wang headed to Meta for high-profile role in artificial intelligence, the startup is promoting its strategy head.