Alexandr Wang | Meta’s data broker

Alexandr Wang
| Photo Credit: Illustration: Sreejith R. Kumar

Alexandr Wang, a 28-year-old entrepreneur, has emerged as a key player in the rapidly evolving landscape of artificial intelligence. His company, Scale AI, has strategically positioned itself at the forefront of this transformation.

Founded in 2016 as a data labelling company for autonomous vehicles, Scale AI quickly gained prominence. It secured partnerships with major tech giants such as OpenAI, Microsoft, Nvidia, and even the U.S. government.

In a significant development, Meta Platforms has invested $14.3 billion to acquire a 49% stake in Scale AI. This acquisition marks a pivotal moment for the company, which now specialises in data curation and intelligent dataset management. As part of this deal, Mr. Alexandr is expected to assume a leadership role within Meta, leading the company’s new “superintelligence” research lab.

This move is a much-needed talent refresh and reputation boost for Meta, which has been losing AI researchers and struggling with its Llama 4 launch. The company is bleeding AI talent as researchers are leaving for rival French startup Mistral.

Meta’s investment in AI is a significant move, and it aligns with the strategies employed by other tech giants. For instance, Microsoft has backed OpenAI, while Amazon supports Anthropic. These partnerships highlight the crucial role of specialised AI firms in the broader ecosystem.

However, the Meta-Scale AI deal has sparked discussions about its implications. Some believe it represents an “exit” for Scale AI, potentially impacting its ability to serve Meta’s competitors like Google and OpenAI. Others question whether it’s a strategic partnership to enhance Scale AI’s capabilities while bolstering Meta’s AI standing, or if it’s a talent acquisition move by Meta.

The deal’s structure, with Mr. Alexandr reportedly retaining voting control over Scale despite his move to Meta, indicates a complex arrangement aimed at balancing these interests. Regardless, this move underscores Meta’s commitment to leading the AI race. Mr. Alexandr, a vocal advocate for the strategic importance of AI for the U.S. as a matter of national security, was shaped by his upbringing in Los Alamos, New Mexico, the birthplace of the atomic bomb. In a TED Talk, he drew parallels between the transformative impact of the atomic bomb on past warfare and the current potential of AI to redefine global power.

AI arms race

Mr. Alexandr asserts that, as seen in the Second World War with the atomic bomb, the country that rapidly and effectively integrates new technology into warfare emerges victorious. He warns that the U.S. risks falling behind in the AI arms race, particularly against China, which he claims is ahead in accumulating the vast datasets necessary to develop powerful AI models. Mr. Alexandr has urged the U.S. government to establish a national data reserve, treating data as a strategic national resource akin to petroleum.

Scale AI has actively pursued defence contracts, collaborating with the U.S. Department of Defense, Air Force, and the Army to test and evaluate large language models for military purposes. Mr. Alexandr views this work as a “moral imperative”, especially after witnessing China’s advances in AI for surveillance and military applications.

Mr. Alexandr predicts that AI will dominate warfare within the next decade. He emphasises that “data will become a new kind of ammunition in the era of AI warfare”. This underscores his call for robust investment in data infrastructure, not only for military superiority but also as a deterrent, akin to nuclear capabilities.

For Mr. Alexandr and Scale AI, the mission is clear: to provide the foundational data layer that accelerates AI development across all sectors, including national security. While Meta’s significant investment marks a new chapter for Scale AI, potentially altering its client dynamics, Mr. Alexandr’s core message about the paramount importance of data and the strategic implications of AI remains unchanged.