Meta appoints Shengjia Zhao, co-creator of ChatGPT and GPT-4, as Chief Scientist of its Superintelligence Lab. Learn about Zhao’s journey from OpenAI to Meta, his contributions to AI, and what this means for Meta’s ambitious AGI plans.
In the ever-evolving battlefield of artificial intelligence, the stakes are higher than ever. Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta has made yet another game-changing move—this time recruiting one of the brightest minds behind OpenAI’s ChatGPT. Shengjia Zhao, the acclaimed AI scientist and co-creator of several GPT models, has been officially named Chief Scientist of Meta’s Superintelligence Lab (MSL).
Zuckerberg took to Threads to share the news, stating that Zhao will spearhead the scientific direction of MSL and collaborate directly with him and Alexandr Wang, Meta’s newly appointed Chief AI Officer. Zhao, who co-founded the lab, will now formally lead its elite research team as Meta aggressively pursues artificial general intelligence (AGI).
But who exactly is Shengjia Zhao, and what does his move mean for the AI industry at large? Let’s dive deep.
Who Is Shengjia Zhao?
Shengjia Zhao’s rise in the AI world is anything but accidental. He earned his Bachelor’s degree from China’s prestigious Tsinghua University in 2016. During his undergraduate years, he also completed a semester exchange in Computer Science at Rice University in the U.S.
His academic journey continued at Stanford University, where he pursued a PhD in Computer Science. At Stanford, Zhao didn’t just study AI—he helped shape its future. He was awarded numerous fellowships and honors, including:
- 🏆 Google Excellence Scholarship (2015)
- 🏆 Qualcomm Innovation Fellowship (2019)
- 🏆 JP Morgan PhD Fellowship (2019)
- 🏆 ICLR Outstanding Paper Award (2022)
Zhao’s Role at OpenAI: A Driving Force Behind GPT
Zhao joined OpenAI in June 2022 as a Member of Technical Staff. Over his three-year tenure, he contributed to some of the most transformative AI models in the world:
- ChatGPT: The AI chatbot that became a household name.
- GPT-4: A major leap forward in natural language processing.
- Mini models: Including GPT-4.1 and GPT-o3, which serve as lightweight, efficient alternatives with scalable deployment.
Zhao’s work not only pushed the boundaries of what’s possible in AI but also earned him widespread acclaim within the research community.
Zhao’s Role at Meta
Although the announcement just went public, Shengjia Zhao has been involved with Meta’s Superintelligence Lab from day one. Zuckerberg emphasized in his Threads post that Zhao co-founded the lab and has acted as its lead scientist behind the scenes.
Now, his title as Chief Scientist has been made official. According to Zuckerberg:
“Shengjia will set the research agenda and scientific direction for our new lab, working directly with me and Alex [Wang].”
Meta’s Superintelligence Lab
The Meta Superintelligence Lab isn’t just another research department. It’s a bold, standalone initiative to challenge OpenAI and Google in the race for AGI—Artificial General Intelligence.
While Meta’s original AI division, FAIR, is still under the guidance of AI veteran Yann LeCun, MSL is taking a more radical approach, backed by:
- Billion-dollar investments in talent and infrastructure
- Aggressive recruitment from top AI labs like OpenAI, Google DeepMind, Anthropic, and Apple
- A focused strategy on LLaMA models and advanced scaling paradigms
We're excited to have @shengjia_zhao at the helm as Chief Scientist of Meta Superintelligence Labs. Big things are coming! 🚀
— AI at Meta (@AIatMeta) July 25, 2025
See Mark's post: https://t.co/SL7h4sGfwx pic.twitter.com/DRnpqBe1wD
How Meta Is Building the Future of AI
Meta has already poured billions of dollars into its AI ecosystem. One of its largest moves was the $14 billion acquisition of Scale AI, bringing in Alexandr Wang as the Chief AI Officer.
Additionally, Zuckerberg has committed to:
- Investing hundreds of billions into building AI supercomputers and data centers
- Recruiting world-class researchers with astronomical compensation packages
- Making AGI the core strategic priority of Meta’s long-term vision
In Zhao’s own words, the mission is to “build intelligent systems that match or exceed human-level performance across diverse cognitive tasks.”
What Sets Shengjia Zhao Apart?
Visionary Leadership & Technical Excellence
Zhao isn’t just a brilliant scientist—he’s also a proven leader. Zuckerberg described him as someone who has:
- Pioneered new scaling paradigms
- Led scientific breakthroughs in model efficiency and training methods
- Distinguished himself as a leader in both academic and corporate AI settings
His dual strength in vision and execution is precisely what Meta needs to gain ground in the AGI race.
OpenAI vs Meta: The AI Talent Tug-of-War
Meta’s hiring spree has led to a steady migration of AI talent from OpenAI and other competitors. Zhao is just the latest in a line of high-profile recruits.
Experts believe this strategy reflects Meta’s urgent need to close the gap between its LLaMA models and more mature offerings like GPT-4 and Google’s Gemini.
However, some critics argue that simply poaching top talent isn’t enough without clear product leadership or robust deployment strategies. Still, with Zhao and Wang on board, Meta now has the brains to match its ambition.
Zhao’s Achievements at a Glance
| Year | Award / Recognition | Institution |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Google Excellence Scholarship | |
| 2019 | Qualcomm Innovation Fellowship | Qualcomm |
| 2019 | JP Morgan PhD Fellowship | JP Morgan |
| 2022 | ICLR Outstanding Paper Award | ICLR |
| 2022–2025 | GPT-4 and ChatGPT Development | OpenAI |
A Power Move in the AI Arena
Now officially the Chief Scientist, Zhao is expected to:
- Lead breakthrough research in scaling models and neural architectures
- Drive model performance innovations that rival or surpass GPT-class models
- Help MSL establish itself as the new frontier of superintelligent AI
According to Zuckerberg, “The next few years are going to be very exciting.” If Zhao’s past is any indication, Meta is in for a thrilling ride.
Mark Zuckerberg’s decision to bring Shengjia Zhao into Meta’s inner AI circle is a landmark moment in the tech world. It underscores Meta’s serious commitment to becoming a dominant force in artificial general intelligence and reshaping the future of computing.
With Shengjia Zhao as Chief Scientist and Alexandr Wang as Chief AI Officer, Meta’s Superintelligence Lab is now led by a dream team of AI pioneers. The talent, money, and mission are all aligned—and the world is watching closely.
As Zhao steps into this pivotal role, his leadership could very well determine whether Meta leads, lags, or transforms the next generation of artificial intelligence.
FAQ:
1. Who is Shengjia Zhao?
Shengjia Zhao is a Chinese-American AI researcher and one of the co-creators of OpenAI’s ChatGPT and GPT-4. He holds a PhD from Stanford University and has now been appointed Chief Scientist at Meta’s Superintelligence Lab.
2. What will Shengjia Zhao do at Meta?
Zhao will define the research agenda and scientific vision for Meta’s Superintelligence Lab, working directly with CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Chief AI Officer Alexandr Wang.
3. What is Meta Superintelligence Lab (MSL)?
MSL is Meta’s elite AI research division focused on developing AGI and next-gen models like LLaMA. It operates independently from Meta’s original FAIR lab.
4. Why is Zhao’s appointment significant?
His appointment signals Meta’s serious intention to compete directly with OpenAI and Google in the AGI arms race, leveraging Zhao’s expertise in foundational model design.
5. What are Meta’s goals with AGI?
Meta wants to build machines that perform at or above human intelligence across all cognitive tasks—often referred to as Artificial General Intelligence (AGI).
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