Meta’s $14.3 billion bet on Scale AI, announced in June, was meant to strengthen its AI ambitions through the creation of Meta Superintelligence Labs (MSL). Alexandr Wang, Scale’s CEO, and several of his top colleagues moved over to lead the new division. But the collaboration is already encountering turbulence.
Insiders revealed that Ruben Mayer, previously a senior executive at Scale AI, left Meta just weeks after joining. While some accounts suggested Mayer’s responsibilities were limited to overseeing AI data operations outside TBD Labs, he pushed back, explaining that he worked within the core lab team from day one and departed for personal reasons unrelated to the role.
Meanwhile, Meta appears to be shifting strategy. Rather than relying solely on Scale AI, the company is increasingly working with competitors such as Mercor and Surge. This is unusual given Meta’s massive financial commitment to Scale, but sources claim researchers find Scale’s output lower in quality compared to rivals.
