Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has announced a major new push to develop artificial intelligence (AI) that can achieve a degree of computerized intelligence that is on a par with that of human beings. This so-called “general intelligence” is still a purely theoretical concept. However, Zuckerberg has stated that his company’s long-term vision is to create it, make it open source and widely available for all users. As part of this strategy, the company will be focusing its efforts on two of its existing research projects, namely FAIR, which deals with basic research, and GenAI, which works on developing AI products for consumers.
In addition to reshaping Meta’s AI research efforts, the company will also be investing significant sums in order to construct large-scale data centres equipped with advanced AI systems. Zuckerberg stated that this investment will help support the company’s future roadmap that includes a stockpile of 350,000 Nvidia computer chips known as H100s. These chips provide the building blocks for AI data centres. Reports suggest that Meta is tied with Microsoft as one of the largest customers for the H100 chip.
The focus on AI will require Meta to ramp up its recruitment efforts in order to attract the best talent. In recent years, AI talent has been in high demand and reportedly, there is now fierce competition to hire top-level scientists. Zuckerberg has acknowledged this challenge and noted that the company is developing tools that can help AI researchers, as well as investing in hiring the best talent. According to the CEO, “We’re used to there being pretty intense talent wars… But there are different dynamics here with multiple companies going for the same profile, [and] a lot of [venture capitalists] and folks throwing money at different projects, making it easy for people to start different things externally.”
Zuckerberg’s announcement was welcomed by Yann LeCun, Meta’s chief AI scientist, who believes the company’s internal changes will “accelerate progress” on AI. LeCun continues to lead FAIR, which has been designated as the company’s AI research division, while GenAI is now a “sister organization” that focuses on the development of AI consumer products. According to LeCun, “FAIR is quite simply the best place in the world to advance AI research to the next level, and Meta is the best place in the world to get it in the hands of billions of people.”
The development of AI technology has long been seen as critical to the development of next-generation computing and is considered key to enabling a range of applications to emerge, from self-driving cars to virtual personal assistants. Meta’s new push to develop general intelligence is seen by many technology experts as a step forward in this direction. Given its financial resources and global reach, the company is seen to be well-positioned to play a leading role in this rapidly evolving field.
The move towards general intelligence is not without its detractors, however, and some experts warn that the development of intelligent machines could lead to significant social disruption, including job losses and widening inequality. There are also concerns regarding the impact of AI on privacy and security. Despite these challenges, experts believe that the potential benefits of AI development could provide a significant boost to economic growth and help tackle some of the world’s most pressing challenges, from renewable energy to healthcare.
