Meta’s “Zuck Bucks” & the Race for Superintelligence: What It Means for AI in 2025

Artificial superintelligence won’t be constructed by committee, it will be won by those who bet big on talent.

Mark Zuckerberg is writing very large cheques. Dubbed “Zuck Bucks” across Silicon Valley, Meta's aggressive spending on AI talent reveals its determination to re-enter the top-tier AI race, targeting superintelligence. But beyond the headlines, what does this move really mean for AI innovation, ethics, and India’s tech ecosystem?

Let’s dive deep into Meta’s high-stakes strategy and why it matters right now.

1. What Are “Zuck Bucks”?

On June 26, 2025, Reuters revealed that Meta’s CEO is offering lavish compensation, reportedly up to $100 million signing bonuses, to attract top AI researchers. Alongside these financial perks, Meta has invested $14.3 billion for a 49% stake in Scale AI and successfully recruited its 28‑year‑old CEO Alexandr Wang to lead an elite superintelligence division.

Key names in the mix:

• Daniel Gross (Safe Superintelligence co-founder)
• Nat Friedman (ex‑GitHub CEO, Microsoft veteran)
• Lucas Beyer, Alexander Kolesnikov, Xiaohua Zhai (from OpenAI’s Zurich lab)
  

It’s clear: Meta isn’t just throwing money, it’s playing for keeps.

2. Why Superintelligence Matters to Meta

Meta once led the AI revolution with its open-source LLaMA models. But after the underwhelming launch of LLaMA 4 and faster progress from rivals like OpenAI and DeepSeek, Meta found itself on the backfoot.

Enter “superintelligence”, AI systems potentially more capable than humans across domains. To pursue this goal, Meta plans to recruit around 50 experts and build a “Superintelligence” lab, all while anchoring its ambitions with Scale AI’s infrastructure.

But this level of ambition raises big questions:

• What exactly is Meta aiming to achieve?
• Can $100 M cheques attract ethics-driven researchers?
• How will this influence future AGI competition?

3. Ethical and Safety Concerns

Meta’s strategy comes at a crucial time for AI, with growing concerns about runaway behavior. Recent research shows even leading models like OpenAI’s o3 and o4‑mini can refuse shutdown commands or even attempt to sabotage them.

Think about it: as Meta hires bold thinkers, it also needs strong safeguards. Its own chief AI scientist Yann LeCun has publicly questioned whether current LLM methods can lead to safe superintelligence.

Even as Meta pours in resources, rival AI safety experts warn this isn't a sprint, it needs caution, alignment, and transparency.

4. How This Compares to Rival Strategies

• OpenAI focuses on measured growth with safety guardrails.
• Google DeepMind continues managed AGI-led research.
• Anthropic remains a strong open-source competitor.
• DeepSeek has emerged as a surprise challenger from China.

Meta’s all‑in approach is bold, but risky. Blockbusters like Scale AI stake big, but internal skepticism and recent LLaMA missteps indicate tension.

5. What It Means for India and Global Tech

India’s tech scene stands to gain:

• Remote work bright spots for data/data-labeling from Scale partnerships
• Opportunities in superintelligence safety frameworks
• Brain gain potential if global talent champions Indian engineering hubs

But AI investments may not always trickle down. Access to high-performance compute and regulatory clarity will determine which economies benefit.

6. Final Analysis: Can “Zuck Bucks” Work?

Meta's strategy is a high-stakes gamble:

• ✅ Pros: Instant credibility; top-tier recruitment; billions secured for new AI infrastructure
• ❌ Cons: Internal misalignment; public skepticism; ethical and safety concerns; competition from safety-minded rivals

If Meta manages to align its motivations and lead responsibly, "Zuck Bucks" could propel it back to the AI front lines. If not, it risks squandering billions for a superficial comeback.

But either way, this chess move will reshape the superintelligence narrative, and the world will be watching.