Meta, under the leadership of CEO Mark Zuckerberg, is intensifying its efforts to establish a significant presence in the competitive field of artificial intelligence. In a recent announcement, Zuckerberg revealed Meta’s intention to develop its own artificial general intelligence (AGI), which refers to artificial intelligence capable of matching or surpassing human intelligence in a wide range of domains. Furthermore, Meta plans to make this AGI accessible to developers.
Zuckerberg emphasized that advancing AI across various domains is crucial for creating the best AI for chatbots, content creators, and businesses. He noted that it has become increasingly apparent that the next generation of services requires the development of full general intelligence.
The company’s long-term vision is not only to create AGI but also to responsibly open-source it and make it widely available for the benefit of all. To accommodate the necessary processing power, Meta is on track to deploy approximately 350,000 Nvidia AI chips by the end of the year. Additionally, Meta intends to consolidate its two major AI research groups, FAIR and GenAI, to expedite its AI-related work.
Zuckerberg sees a connection between Meta’s vision for AI and the metaverse, envisioning that smart glasses, like the Ray-Ban Meta, will enable people to interact with AI throughout the day by the end of the decade.
This commitment by Meta to advance AI is significant, reflecting a broader trend where major tech companies such as Microsoft, Google, and Amazon are actively sharing new AI tools and strategies, contributing to an ongoing AI competition. However, concerns have been raised about potential unintended consequences and harms associated with the rapid development of AI products.
Meta has also established a dedicated product group to accelerate its work on AI tools, and the company has been sharing information aimed at helping users better understand how AI influences their interactions on its platforms. Analysts have noted that Meta’s focus on AI is not surprising given the industry’s increasing emphasis on AI, especially in the wake of its rebranding as a company dedicated to building the metaverse.
Overall, this announcement underscores Meta’s commitment to advancing AI technology and its broader strategic goals in the ever-evolving tech landscape.