The discussion kicks off with Ed’s adventures in Greece before diving into Mark Zuckerberg's audacious quest to build a superintelligence lab at Meta. The hosts explore his extravagant recruitment of top AI talent, likening it to a blockbuster crossover event. They critically examine the motivations behind such massive investments and question the sustainability of this tech funding frenzy. Additionally, the potential impact of Meta's AI ambitions on local communities and its recent legal wins in AI copyright are also unpacked.
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insights INSIGHT
Zuckerberg's AI Avengers Strategy
Mark Zuckerberg is assembling a top-tier AI team by recruiting leading talent from the entire AI industry.
He offers massive pay packages and resources to create Meta's Superintelligence Lab, likened to a Marvel crossover event.
insights INSIGHT
Meta's Infinite Abundance Approach
Meta is investing hundreds of millions to build superintelligence, contrasting industry concerns over resource scarcity.
This approach promises infinite resources at a time when tech layoffs and austerity are common elsewhere.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Startup Founders’ Lucrative Meta Offers
AI startup founders with no defined product get lucrative offers to join Meta’s superintelligence lab.
Zuckerberg personally reaches out with massive equity deals, creating a ‘publisher clearing house check’ effect.
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After chatting about Ed’s trip to Greece, we turn our sights on the incredible amount of money that Mark Zuckerberg is spending to poach big names from across the tech sector and assemble the greatest crossover event in AI history. What could possibly make this level of investment into creating the Meta Superintelligence Lab a worthwhile endeavor? We lay out the Meta logic as it seems to be playing out.
••• Here’s What Mark Zuckerberg Is Offering Top AI Talent https://www.wired.com/story/mark-zuckerberg-meta-offer-top-ai-talent-300-million/
••• Here Is Everyone Mark Zuckerberg Has Hired So Far for Meta’s ‘Superintelligence’ Team https://www.wired.com/story/mark-zuckerberg-welcomes-superintelligence-team/
••• Zuckerberg Leads AI Recruitment Blitz Armed With $100 Million Pay Packages https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/meta-ai-recruiting-mark-zuckerberg-5c231f75
••• Meta held talks to buy Thinking Machines, Perplexity, and Safe Superintelligence https://www.theverge.com/command-line-newsletter/690720/meta-buy-thinking-machines-perplexity-safe-superintelligence
••• Meta Wins Blockbuster AI Copyright Case—but There’s a Catch https://www.wired.com/story/meta-scores-victory-ai-copyright-case/
••• 'A Black Hole of Energy Use': Meta's Massive AI Data Center Is Stressing Out a Louisiana Community https://www.404media.co/a-black-hole-of-energy-use-metas-massive-ai-data-center-is-stressing-out-a-louisiana-community/
Standing Plugs:
••• Order Jathan’s new book: https://www.ucpress.edu/book/9780520398078/the-mechanic-and-the-luddite
••• Subscribe to Ed’s substack: https://substack.com/@thetechbubble
••• Subscribe to TMK on patreon for premium episodes: https://www.patreon.com/thismachinekills
Hosted by Jathan Sadowski (bsky.app/profile/jathansadowski.com) and Edward Ongweso Jr. (www.x.com/bigblackjacobin). Production / Music by Jereme Brown (bsky.app/profile/jebr.bsky.social)
This Machine Kills