Mark Zuckerberg is reportedly recruiting a team to build a ‘superintelligence'

New York
CNN —
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is personally assembling a team to achieve a 'superintelligence,' machines that are capable of surpassing human capabilities, according to a Bloomberg report.
Zuckerberg is reportedly so frustrated with Meta's efforts in the artificial intelligence space that he has taken it upon himself to meet with experts in the field at his homes in Lake Tahoe and Palo Alto, California. Meta and Zuckerberg did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Meta has created AI tools that are woven into Facebook, WhatsApp and other Meta-owned apps, as well as its Ray-Ban glasses and chatbots. But the extremely competitive AI landscape continues to be led by ChatGPT-maker OpenAI, and Meta's Llama AI model has faced some recent setbacks.
Zuckerberg plans to hire about 50 people and has shifted the layout of the company's Menlo Park headquarters to put the new AI team near his office, Bloomberg reported Tuesday, citing people that asked to remain anonymous. Zuckerberg has personally taken on this task because he's frustrated with the progress of Llama 4, Meta's latest large language model, according to Bloomberg.
The New York Times, which separately confirmed many details of the report, also said that Alexandr Wang, the 28-year-old founder and CEO of startup Scale AI, is part of the project with Meta mulling a billions in investment in his company.
Zuckerberg has reportedly told people that the initiative would be funded by Meta's massive advertising business. It's unclear how the new team would work with Meta's existing AI team, Bloomberg said.
Over the past few years, Zuckerberg has pushed increasingly further into repositioning Meta into an AI powerhouse with mixed success. His intensity in the area has sharpened following the leaps in advancement from OpenAI, a rival that raised tens of billions of dollars in funding.
Zuckerberg's superintelligence goal is extremely lofty. Before AI can achieve capabilities that outmatch humans' brains, the technology first needs to become capable of accomplishing anything a human can do – a so-called artificial general intelligence. AI researchers debate how close we are to that AGI goal, with some saying we're years away and other saying we're nowhere close and we have no path to achieving it.
Nevertheless, the AI race is as competitive as any tech battle in recent memory. Meta is facing off with Microsoft-backed OpenAI and Alphabet, as well as a host of other major upstarts with serious funding, including Elon Musk's xAI and Anthropic. Apple has gotten a slow start but announced some of its own AI developments this week.
Many tech leaders like Zuckerberg believe AI represents an existential threat to their businesses. Meta has been trying to differentiate itself with Llama by making it open source, a free-to-use AI model that seeks to become the basis for the majority of the world's AI (think Android for artificial intelligence).
Google believes AI poses a significant threat to its search business: If people can just ask an AI model for the answer, why search for anything? Apple understands that AI may ultimately make apps moot, potentially undermining its smartphone dominance. And OpenAI may have gotten a massive head start with ChatGPT, but competitors are quickly catching up.

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Mid East Info

3 days ago

• Mid East Info

University of Birmingham Dubai students win fifth edition of the ADNOC-Bloomberg Trading Challenge - Middle East Business News and Information

Students from University of Birmingham Dubai have won the 2025 edition of the ADNOC-Bloomberg Trading Challenge, marking the fifth edition of the unique commodities-focused competition designed to help students in the UAE showcase their skills in data analytics and trading. Sittie Rania Guinomla and Malishka Kaur Bhasin from 'Fortune Traders' team were named the winners for their strategy, which which stood out for its disciplined 'hold and watch' investment approach. The winners are eligible for training placements with ADNOC Global Trading. The challenge forms part of the ADNOC-Bloomberg for Education Initiative, a long-term collaboration between ADNOC, the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, and Bloomberg aimed at supporting the UAE's next generation of graduates. Over the years, it has become a key platform for students from competing universities to gain hands-on experience using Bloomberg Terminals, guided by Bloomberg analysts from various sectors. Throughout the challenge, teams from participating universities simulate analyst workflows and develop commodities trading strategies, which they present as a research report to a jury of financial sector experts. Saif Al Falahi, ADNOC Director of Group Business Support & Special Tasks, said: 'We warmly congratulate the winners of this year's ADNOC-Bloomberg Trading Challenge on their exceptional performance in a competition that we are proud to have championed since its launch. The challenge offers a valuable platform for the next generation of UAE trading professionals to build the skills and hands-on experience needed to lead the fast-evolving world of global energy trading and drive the UAE's continued economic success.' In 2025, more than 450 students from nine universities took part in the challenge. Five teams were shortlisted as finalists, each presenting their approach to trading. David Massias, Head of Market Specialists – Middle East & Africa, Bloomberg LP said: 'What stands out most to me is how collaborative and committed these students are. They come in eager to learn and they leave with a real understanding of how to work with data, how to think critically, and perhaps most importantly, how to make informed decisions. This year's teams were impressive, and it's great to see such consistently strong talent in the UAE, especially at a time when the country is investing so much in innovation and digital skills.' Launched in 2019 following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between ADNOC, Bloomberg, and the Ministry of Education, the initiative was created to equip future generations of UAE students with the financial skills needed to thrive in today's dynamic and globally connected world. Since then, it has continued to grow in scale and impact, supporting over 9,000 students and installing 100 Bloomberg Terminals across five of the UAE's leading universities: Khalifa University, Abu Dhabi University, UAE University, New York University Abu Dhabi, and the Higher Colleges of Technology.

Egypt Independent

4 days ago

• Egypt Independent

Europe takes a big step toward banning Russian oil and gas as Ukraine war drags on

London CNN — The European Union is moving closer to banning all imports of Russian oil and natural gas more than three years after Moscow launched its unprovoked, full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The European Commission, the bloc's executive arm, put forward a legislative proposal Tuesday to gradually ban purchases of Russian natural gas – whether supplied via pipeline or as liquefied natural gas (LNG) on tankers. Under the plan, no new import contracts will be allowed from next year, while imports under existing short-term contracts for most EU member states will have to stop in a year's time and purchases under long-term contracts will be outlawed by the end of 2027. 'Russia has repeatedly attempted to blackmail us by weaponizing its energy supplies,' European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a statement. 'We have taken clear steps to turn off the tap and end the era of Russian fossil fuels in Europe for good.' The proposal also includes a ban on Russian-owned or controlled companies signing up to long-term contracts for the EU's LNG terminal services, ensuring that 'terminal capacity can be redirected to alternative suppliers.' As for oil imports, the commission proposed requiring the member states still importing Moscow's oil to prepare plans to phase out these supplies, aiming at a complete stop by the end of 2027. For example, Hungary and Slovakia were still importing Russian crude oil via pipeline last year, according to an analysis by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air, a research organization. Tuesday's proposal puts meat on the bones of the EU's 'REPowerEU' plan, introduced back in May 2022 to break the bloc's dependence on Russian energy. Hungary and Slovakia, two EU countries with more Russia-friendly governments, have previously threatened to block new rounds of sanctions against Russia. While they have ultimately voted in favor, the European Commission has taken steps to ensure they cannot stand in the way of its latest plan by using trade and energy legislation as the basis for Tuesday's proposal. That way, the new restrictions will become law if they are approved by a 'qualified majority,' meaning that more than half of EU member states representing at least 65 percent of the bloc's population will need to vote in favor. If the plan had been proposed under the EU sanctions rules, it would have required a unanimous vote from all member states. New sanctions The EU drastically slashed its imports of Russian energy after Moscow invaded Ukraine in early 2022. Russia's share of the bloc's total imports of natural gas fell to 19 percent last year, from 45 percent in 2021, according to official EU data. Meanwhile, Moscow accounted for just 3 percent of the EU's total oil imports in 2024, down from 27 percent at the start of 2022. Last week, the EU unveiled a new package of sanctions against Russia – its 18th since Moscow's invasion – designed to further reduce the Kremlin's ability to make money from its oil and gas production. Von der Leyen said the sanctions were necessary 'because strength is the only language that Russia will understand.' The proposed sanctions include lowering the price cap on Russian oil exports from $60 to $45 per barrel and introducing a full transaction ban on Russian banks and other financial institutions in third countries that help Russia circumvent existing Western sanctions. The new package will need to be approved by all of the EU's 27 member states. That could be complicated, given concerns raised previously by some EU countries, such as Hungary and Slovakia, about further sanctions on Russia.

Daily News Egypt

5 days ago

• Daily News Egypt

Serbian PM calls trade deal a ‘new page' in Egypt ties

Serbian Prime Minister Guro Macut has described a new free trade agreement with Egypt as a 'new page' in bilateral relations, stating that both countries are working to implement its terms to boost trade and investment. Speaking at the Egyptian-Serbian Business Forum in Egypt's New Administrative Capital, Macut said the agreement aims to 'achieve the optimal exploitation of possible opportunities to increase trade exchange and push investments' for the economic growth of both nations. He said the efforts to enhance bilateral cooperation have become tangible thanks to the support of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi and Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, which paves the way for stronger ties. Macut highlighted the long-standing ties between the two nations, which he noted were founding members of the Non-Aligned Movement and are celebrating 117 years of diplomatic relations. He said the strategic partnership was established during Sisi's 2022 visit to Belgrade and reaffirmed when the draft free trade deal was signed during Vučić's visit to Cairo in July 2024. While noting that economic exchange currently stands at approximately $122m, the prime minister asserted that there is potential to increase it significantly. He added that around 40 Egyptian-owned companies operate in Serbia and that joint manufacturing projects have already begun in the Egyptian market. He presented Serbia as an economically stable and safe investment destination, citing its strategic geographical location, government support, skilled workforce, and attractiveness for the software industry. Macut also mentioned Serbia's efforts to advance the 'Open Balkan' initiative to create a common market for the free movement of goods in the Western Balkans. Macut extended a specific invitation for Egyptian participation in the Belgrade Expo 2027, encouraging a large number of investors to attend to explore cooperation opportunities and create a platform to enhance trade. He also expressed hope that Serbian companies and products would find their place in the Egyptian market. 'We look forward to a new partnership and more cooperation,' he concluded.