Shengjia Zhao joins Meta Superintelligence Labs to lead next-gen AI
Meta has officially appointed Shengjia Zhao, former OpenAI researcher and one of the driving forces behind ChatGPT and GPT-4, as the Chief Scientist of its new research division—Meta Superintelligence Labs (MSL). This strategic move answers the tech industry’s growing curiosity around Meta’s next step in the AI arms race. Shengjia Zhao’s appointment is not just a title—it’s a commitment to building advanced AI reasoning systems, especially as Meta looks to develop its own models rivaling OpenAI's o1.
Image Credits:David Paul Morris/Bloomberg / Getty Images
Shengjia Zhao, who co-founded the lab earlier this year, will now formally lead the scientific direction of MSL. His role reflects Meta’s aggressive push into the development of frontier AI. Having helped develop OpenAI’s most notable innovations, Zhao brings deep technical expertise and a proven track record in AI scaling paradigms. As Meta ramps up its AI ambitions, Zhao’s leadership marks a pivotal moment in the company’s evolution toward superintelligence.
Shengjia Zhao's Track Record in Advanced AI Models
Shengjia Zhao is no stranger to pushing the boundaries of artificial intelligence. His work at OpenAI included foundational roles in the creation of ChatGPT, GPT-4, and most notably, the o1 reasoning model. These models have transformed how machines understand context, logic, and natural language—critical components for developing artificial general intelligence (AGI). Zhao’s unique ability to translate theoretical AI concepts into practical, scalable models has earned him significant respect within the research community.
Zhao’s contributions to OpenAI’s reasoning model o1 are especially relevant to Meta’s long-term vision. The o1 model, often considered a step toward enabling machines to reason like humans, is something Meta has yet to match. By hiring Zhao, Meta is clearly signaling that advanced reasoning capabilities will be central to the roadmap of Meta Superintelligence Labs. This also sets the stage for direct competition with leading AI research companies like Anthropic, DeepMind, and OpenAI.
Meta’s AI Leadership Strategy: Balancing Vision and Expertise
While the appointment of Alexandr Wang as head of Meta Superintelligence Labs initially raised eyebrows due to his business background rather than research, Zhao’s elevation as Chief Scientist balances that equation. Wang, formerly CEO of Scale AI, brings operational excellence, while Zhao will spearhead the technical and scientific vision. This dual-leadership model reflects Meta’s broader strategy to blend entrepreneurial agility with deep research capabilities.
Beyond Zhao, Meta has been aggressively recruiting top-tier talent from across the AI ecosystem. Researchers from OpenAI, DeepMind, Anthropic, Apple, and even Meta’s own FAIR (Fundamental AI Research) lab have been enlisted to join the superintelligence unit. This recruitment drive is more than just talent hoarding—it’s Meta’s signal to the world that it aims to be a central player in shaping the future of general-purpose AI systems.
What Meta Superintelligence Labs Means for the Future of AI
With Zhao now formally leading the scientific efforts at MSL, the unit is expected to focus heavily on next-generation reasoning models, multi-modal understanding, and scaling techniques. Meta currently lacks a competitive answer to OpenAI’s o1 or DeepMind’s Gemini Ultra. MSL’s mandate is to change that. Zhao’s recent work on a “new scaling paradigm” hints at more than just iterative improvement; it suggests an effort to redefine how intelligence can be expanded in AI models.
Zuckerberg’s decision to formalize Zhao’s role comes at a time when the industry is laser-focused on who will build the first safe and useful artificial general intelligence. MSL will not just contribute to Meta’s portfolio—it will likely influence the trajectory of global AI research. For developers, enterprises, and policymakers watching the evolution of AI superintelligence, Shengjia Zhao’s new role should be seen as a significant turning point.
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