Meta’s ambitious gamble on artificial intelligence (AI) — anchored by a **$14 billion-plus investment and the recruitment of AI prodigy Alexandr Wang — is reportedly facing tension at the top ranks of the company. At the centre of this internal strain is a **clash between Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Wang over how the company’s AI future should be shaped.
1. The Big Bet: Scale AI and Wang’s Role
In mid-2025, Meta invested roughly **$14.3 billion for a 49 % stake in data-labelling and AI startup Scale AI, effectively bringing its 28-year-old founder Alexandr Wang into Meta’s leadership to spearhead its massive AI push, including its “superintelligence” labs. Wang’s hire was billed as a cornerstone of Meta’s effort to catch up with rivals like OpenAI and Google in cutting-edge AI development.
2. Cultural and Strategic Tensions
According to people familiar with the situation, friction has grown between Zuckerberg and Wang over how AI work should be prioritised and executed:
- Management style clash: Wang has reportedly confided to associates that Zuckerberg’s highly involved, hands-on leadership feels “suffocating,” making it hard to execute his AI vision.
- Strategy disagreements: Internal battles have surfaced over fundamental decisions like whether Meta should integrate AI models directly into existing products early (a view pushed by Meta’s long-time executives) or focus first on building world-class foundational AI capabilities that could compete with rivals head-on — Wang’s preference.
- This clash of priorities has reportedly created an “us vs. them” dynamic between Wang’s AI research teams and Meta’s veteran leadership, complicating execution on the company’s ambitious AI roadmap.
3. Organizational Shake-Up and Signalling
Recent internal reorganisation — such as the launch of Meta Compute, a top-level AI infrastructure initiative that reports directly to Zuckerberg — has effectively placed infrastructure and strategic control above Wang’s domain, signalling Zuckerberg’s desire for tighter oversight as Meta pours resources into AI.
4. Talent Departures and Internal Skepticism
The tension is underscored by notable departures from Meta’s AI ranks. For example, Yann LeCun — a renowned AI scientist — left the company after reportedly objecting to reporting to Wang and shifting priorities around research focus. This raised questions about whether the AI strategy being pursued aligns with long-term scientific goals or primarily responsive product-based competition.
5. Broader Implications
The public accounting of these internal disagreements comes at a crucial juncture for Meta’s AI ambitions, with the firm making one of the largest AI talent and infrastructure investments in tech history. Some analysts see this clash as a natural tension between established leadership’s focus on product business and a new generation’s push for foundational AI breakthroughs, which could either spur innovation or slow execution depending on how it’s resolved.
In summary:
• Meta’s AI strategy is facing internal power struggles between Zuckerberg’s hands-on control and Alexandr Wang’s push for foundational AI work.
• Organizational changes and departures hint at broader cultural friction over Meta’s AI direction.
• How Meta resolves this tension could influence its competitiveness against AI leaders like OpenAI and Google.
