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Anyone know what scale does these days beyond labeling tools that would make them this interesting to Meta? Data labeling tools seem more of a traditional softw
by krosaen 1y ago
Anyone know what scale does these days beyond labeling tools that would make them this interesting to Meta? Data labeling tools seem more of a traditional software application and not much to do with AI models themselves that would be somewhat easily replicated, but guessing my impression is out of date. Also now apparently their CEO is leaving [1], so the idea that they were super impressed with him doesn't seem to be the explanation.
[1] https://techcrunch.com/2025/06/13/scale-ai-confirms-significant-investment-from-meta-says-ceo-alexandr-wang-is-leaving/ https://techcrunch.com/2025/06/13/scale-ai-confirms-signific...
- laborcontract 1y agoThis is by all indications the world's most expensive acquihire of a single person. Reporting has been that Zuckerberg has seen Wang as a confidant of sorts, and has proposed a vision of AI that's said to be non consensus.
- krosaen 1y agobut did you see that now Wang is leaving as part of this?
- paxys 1y agoHe is leaving to join Meta.
- laborcontract 1y agoHe is leaving to now work at Meta.
- krosaen 1y agoah whoops, thanks.
- deleted 1y ago[deleted]
- Bjorkbat 1y agoFair enough. If you aren't willing to give your friend $14 billion to join your company so you can hang out more, then are you two really friends?
- mjburgess 1y agoI could see a friend giving me 4% of his net worth on those terms, esp. if i might return a few percent, in the fullness of time.
- michaelrwolfe1 1y agoWang didn't get $14b, he only owns about 15% of Scale. We also don't know how much he sold. He could have sold all of his stock (netting him around $4.5b), none, or something in the middle.
- egillie 1y agoWhere did you find the reporting about the non consensus ai view? That’s the most interesting take I’ve heard on this
- vonneumannstan 1y agoI've seen rumours that he is leaking what the other labs are using Scale for which may let Meta catch up...
- paxys 1y agoI doubt Scale is interesting by itself. This is all about Alexandr Wang. Guy is in his mid 20s and has somehow worked his way up in Silicon Valley to the same stature as CEOs of multi trillion dollar companies. Got a front row seat at Trump's inaugration. Advises the DoD. Routinely rubs shoulders with world leaders. I can't say whether there's actual substance or not, by clearly Zuck sees something in him (probably a bit of himself).
- DebtDeflation 1y agoIt's a wild story for sure. Dropped out of MIT after freshman year and starts Scale to do data labeling. Three years later Scale has a $1B valuation and two years after that Wang is the world's youngest billionaire. Nine years after Scale's founding they're still doing less than $1B in annual revenue. Yet Meta is doing a $14B acquihire. There's definitely more than meets the eye. I suspect it involves multiple world governments including the US.
- tyre 1y ago> Dropped out of MIT after freshman year and starts Scale to do data labeling I was in their YC batch, so two notes: 1. He didn't start it himself 2. They weren't doing data labeling when they entered YC. They pivoted to this.
- deleted 1y ago[deleted]
- DebtDeflation 1y agoI didn't mean to imply he started it alone. Though his co-founder Lucy Guo is almost as bizarre of a story as Wang himself. I'm curious, what were they doing before data labeling?
- moralestapia 1y agoWith all the respect that is due, Lucy didn't do cr*p and also left quite early. Scale is 99% Alex's credit.
- rybosome 1y agoScale has also built massive amounts of proprietary datasets that they license to the big players in training. Meta, Google, OpenAI, Anthropic, etc. all use Scale data in training. So, the play I’m guessing is to shut that tap off for everyone else now, and double down on using Scale to generate more proprietary datasets.
- steve_adams_86 1y agoIsn’t this monopolistic?
- hn_throwaway_99 1y agoWhich is a primary reason Meta took a 49% stake in Scale vs buying them outright.
- steve_adams_86 1y agoAh, my mistake. I thought the arrangement was allowing for more control over access to the company. I should pay closer attention.
- JumpCrisscross 1y ago> Isn’t this monopolistic? By whom? The fact that there is a list of competitors means Meta has no monopoly in AI. And Scale AI has no monopoly in labelled data. It’s anticompetitive. But probably not to an illegal extent. Every “moat” is, after all, a measure in anticompetitiveness.
- sumtechguy 1y agoyes probably. but it already is. there is also an assumption that meta would turn it off. not saying they will or will not just that there an assumption here.
- mattlondon 1y agoI wondered that. But then huge revenue streams for Scale basically disappear immediately. Is it worth Meta spending all that money just to stop competitors using Scale? There are competitors who I am sure would be very eager to get the money from Google, OpenAI, Anthropic etc that was previously going to Scale. So Meta spends all that money for basically nothing because the competitors will just fill the gap if Scale is turned-down. I am guessing they are just buying stuff to try to be more "vertically integrated" or whatever (remember that Facebook recently got caught pirating books etc).
- knuppar 1y ago> Also now apparently their CEO is leaving Leaving to join "Meta's super intelligence efforts", whatever that means.
- guluarte 1y agothey use people for 3 world countries for labeling and fixing models responses, i guess the value is in the human capital
- eaglelamp 1y agoIt looks like security/surveillance play more than anything. Scale has strong relationships with the US MIC, the current administration (predating Zuck's rebranding), and gulf states. Their Wikipedia history section lists accomplishments that align closely with DoD's vision for GenAI. The current admin, and the western political elite generally, are anxious about GenAI developments and social unrest, the pairing of Meta and Scale addresses their anxieties directly.
- rlt 1y agoAndrew Bosworth (CTO of Meta) being commissioned as a Lieutenant Colonel in a new unit of the US Army Reserve is even more interesting in this light. https://x.com/boztank/status/1933512877140316628?s=46 https://x.com/boztank/status/1933512877140316628?s=46