In a bold and deeply personal move, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is now at the forefront of the company’s ambitious pursuit to build superintelligent AI, stepping in to directly lead recruitment and development efforts amid growing pressure from industry competitors.

According to The New York Times, Zuckerberg is no longer just overseeing strategy — he’s hosting top AI researchers at his homes, reshaping office spaces, and offering staggering compensation packages that reportedly stretch into the nine-figure range, meaning some select engineers could earn upwards of $100 million.

Meta, once an early leader in artificial intelligence research, has recently seen its dominance wane as rivals like Google and OpenAI advance rapidly. Insiders report that Zuckerberg is frustrated with the performance of Meta’s recent AI models, including internal concerns over Llama 4 and delays surrounding the release of the company’s next-generation model, code-named Behemoth.

In response, he has entered what sources describe as "founder mode," taking a hands-on role in assembling a new elite team known as the Superintelligence Group. This handpicked unit of around 50 top engineers and researchers will work closely under his leadership to develop artificial general intelligence (AGI) — a long-term vision of machines capable of outperforming human cognitive abilities.

This push also ties in with Meta’s ongoing multi-billion-dollar investment in Scale AI, a data-labelling firm helmed by 28-year-old Alexandr Wang. Wang is expected to play a critical role in this new chapter by joining Meta and helping establish the core superintelligence lab.

Amid this transformation, Meta is aggressively targeting top talent from competitors like OpenAI and Google, offering compensation ranging from seven to nine figures. Some high-profile engineers have already accepted offers, lured by Zuckerberg’s direct involvement and the promise of redefining the future of AI.

Despite setbacks and internal shakeups in its AI division, Meta continues to integrate its AI capabilities across platforms like Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and even Ray-Ban smart glasses. However, results have often fallen short of expectations.

Still, Zuckerberg remains undeterred. As one source noted, he’s launched a dedicated WhatsApp chat dubbed “Recruiting Party” to personally poach top-tier engineers — a testament to how deeply invested he is in Meta’s AI renaissance.

With 2025 shaping up to be a defining year, Zuckerberg has made it clear: the future of Meta hinges on building superintelligent AI — and he’s betting big, one elite recruit at a time.