Former OpenAI Scientist Shengjia Zhao Joins Meta to Lead Superintelligence Lab

Mark Zuckerberg, Meta’s chief executive, announced on Friday that Shengjia Zhao, who played a key role in developing OpenAI’s ChatGPT, has taken on the position of chief scientist at Meta Superintelligence Labs.

Taking to Threads, Zuckerberg highlighted Zhao’s achievements, stating that he has pioneered multiple breakthroughs, including developing a novel scaling paradigm, and has established himself as a prominent figure in the artificial intelligence space. Zuckerberg expressed enthusiasm about collaborating closely with Zhao to bring his scientific vision to life.

In his new role, Zhao will report directly to both Zuckerberg and Alexandr Wang, who previously led Scale AI and now serves as Meta’s chief AI officer.

We are excited to announce that @shengjia_zhao will be the Chief Scientist of Meta Superintelligence Labs!

Shengjia is a brilliant scientist who most recently pioneered a new scaling paradigm in his research. He will lead our scientific direction for our team.

Let's go 🚀 pic.twitter.com/D93KQWIvFl

— Alexandr Wang (@alexandr_wang) July 25, 2025

Meta has been aggressively expanding its AI capabilities in recent weeks, with Zuckerberg committing $14 billion to Scale AI. The company launched Meta Superintelligence Labs in June, assembling top-tier researchers and engineers under one roof.

According to Zuckerberg’s June memorandum, Zhao played a crucial role in creating ChatGPT and made substantial contributions to GPT-4’s development, including work on its smaller versions 4.1 and o3. Before joining Meta, he led OpenAI’s synthetic data efforts.

While Zhao was mentioned alongside other new hires in the June announcement, CNBC reported that Zuckerberg clarified on Friday that Zhao actually co-founded the lab and has served as its lead scientist since inception.

The Meta Superintelligence Labs will focus on developing fundamental AI architectures, including the open-source Llama model series, while also pursuing various product development initiatives and core research endeavors.

In July, Zuckerberg disclosed that Meta plans to invest hundreds of billions of dollars in AI infrastructure, expressing optimism about the exciting developments ahead.

This recruitment push comes after developers showed lukewarm reception to the Llama 4 models launched in April, leading to a strategic shift aimed at competing more effectively with companies like OpenAI and Google.

During a recent appearance on Lenny’s Podcast, Anthropic cofounder Benjamin Mann discussed how his team has resisted Meta’s lucrative recruitment offers. He stressed that Anthropic’s employees are motivated by the company’s mission rather than financial incentives, noting that the decision to stay wasn’t difficult despite other AI companies losing talent to substantial compensation packages.

Mann acknowledged that accepting large offers might make sense depending on personal circumstances. His remarks highlight the intense competition for talent among major technology companies, with signing bonuses reportedly reaching up to $100 million, which Mann confirmed as likely accurate.

Regardless of any potential offers to OpenAI staff, the company has experienced significant departures, with half of its safety team leaving over recent years. Former OpenAI researcher Daniel Kokotajlo shared with Fortune last year that employees focused on AGI safety and preparedness were becoming increasingly sidelined within the organization.