Race between Meta and OpenAI for Consumer-Oriented Superintelligence
In the rapidly evolving world of artificial intelligence (AI), two tech giants are making significant strides in the development of consumer superintelligence - Meta and OpenAI.
Meta, once known primarily for its social media platforms, is now aggressively investing and hiring to realise its ambitions of building superintelligence. The company made headlines in June 2021 with the hire of Scale AI founder and CEO, Alexandr Wang, to bolster its AI efforts.
Superintelligence, defined as AI that surpasses human intelligence, is the focus of Meta's consumer-centric approach. This form of AI is intended to solve problems for consumers across productivity, entertainment, and social connection.
The consumer AI market is anticipated to be worth $674.49 billion by 2030, according to a study by NextMSC.
Meta's CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, envisions a future where superintelligent AI assists people in achieving their individual goals and values, rather than simply automating jobs or centralizing intelligence. He believes the next decade will be crucial in determining whether AI becomes a force of empowerment or displacement for society.
Meanwhile, OpenAI, while less detailed in the search results, is recognised as a key player in the development of large foundation models that power consumer-facing AI applications. The company, which recently acquired Jony Ive's startup, io, is expanding beyond just chat interfaces and APIs.
OpenAI is dominating the consumer AI space with its product, ChatGPT. The company is also a participant in the ongoing debate about open versus closed AI models, a conversation Meta is deeply engaged with too, as they balance open sourcing of models with competitive and safety considerations.
Apple, with its history in connected hardware devices and AI, could potentially partner with OpenAI to rival Google's consumer offerings in the era of consumer superintelligence. Google, with its extensive history in AI and connected hardware devices, could also be well-positioned for this new phase of AI development.
As we look to the future, the near term promises accelerated evolution in AI capabilities centred on "personal superintelligence" - AI systems that intimately assist individuals. Industry leaders see this as revolutionary for personal empowerment, productivity, and creativity.
However, significant challenges remain, including governance, safety, massive infrastructure costs, and societal impact direction. As such, Meta and OpenAI are critical hubs in the tech industry shaping superintelligence aimed at consumers, with Meta emphasising large-scale infrastructure and personal empowerment, and OpenAI focusing on foundational AI models and accessible applications.
The coming years will be pivotal in determining how this technology integrates into daily life and reshapes human-machine collaboration. The question isn't whether to pay attention to this space, but how to prepare for its arrival.
[1] Meta's 2025 Capital Expenditures for AI Infrastructure [2] OpenAI's Stance on Open versus Closed AI Models [3] Meta's Integration of Generative AI Tools Across Platforms [4] Nick Bostrom's Definition of Superintelligence [5] NextMSC's Study on the Consumer AI Market
- Meta has announced plans to allocate a significant portion of its 2025 capital expenditures towards developing AI infrastructure, with the aim of realizing its ambitions in building superintelligence.
- OpenAI, in addition to its focus on large foundation models, has advocated for the use of open AI models, joining a larger conversation within the tech industry about the balance between open sourcing, competitiveness, and safety considerations.
- In an effort to revolutionize its platforms, Meta is integrating generative AI tools into various services, with the intention of providing consumers with AI assistance across productivity, entertainment, and social connection.
