Meta Taps Former OpenAI Scientist Shengjia Zhao to Head AI Superintelligence Lab in India
Meta appoints Shengjia Zhao, a leading AI researcher formerly with OpenAI, as chief scientist for its new superintelligence lab in India. The move marks a major push by Meta to expand its frontier AI capabilities across Asia.
NewsSutra
In a bold move that underscores the intensifying global race in artificial intelligence (AI), Meta has appointed Shengjia Zhao, a renowned former OpenAI researcher, as the chief scientist to lead its new AI superintelligence lab in India. The announcement, which comes amid heightened innovation and competition in AI development, signals Meta’s strategic commitment to establishing India as a hub for frontier AI research.
The decision to base this cutting-edge lab in India reflects the country's growing reputation as a center for technical excellence and its expanding role in global AI ecosystems. With this appointment, Meta joins other tech giants like Google, Microsoft, and Amazon in placing greater emphasis on AI-driven innovation across South Asia.
Who is Shengjia Zhao?
Shengjia Zhao is a prominent name in the field of artificial intelligence, especially in the domains of machine learning safety, generative models, and AI alignment. He previously held research roles at OpenAI and Stanford University, where his work contributed to foundational understanding in ensuring responsible AI development.
Zhao’s research has been widely cited and praised for its rigorous mathematical frameworks, especially around large-scale language models and AI interpretability. His move to Meta has been seen as a strategic gain for the tech company’s ambitions in advanced AI systems and superintelligence research.
“India represents an extraordinary blend of talent, diversity, and academic brilliance. I’m excited to lead this next chapter in building safe, scalable, and powerful AI systems,” Zhao said in a LinkedIn post confirming the news.
Why Meta Is Focusing on India
Meta’s choice to establish a superintelligence-focused AI lab in India is not coincidental. The country has emerged as a hotspot for AI research, with government-backed initiatives like the National AI Mission and the Digital India programme creating a conducive environment for high-tech innovation.
According to NASSCOM, India’s AI talent pool is expected to surpass 1 million professionals by 2025. Moreover, global tech giants have been ramping up their R&D operations in India, leveraging both cost efficiency and access to skilled engineers and researchers.
Meta’s decision also aligns with the company’s larger shift toward open science and decentralized research hubs, echoing the decentralization trends seen across other AI leaders.
“India is no longer just a market; it’s a creator of AI technologies. Our lab here aims to contribute foundational research to ensure AGI is developed responsibly,” said Meta CTO Andrew Bosworth.
Inside Meta’s Superintelligence Lab
The newly announced lab will be headquartered in Bengaluru, often dubbed the Silicon Valley of India. The lab’s core mission is to accelerate work in:
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Safe superintelligence and alignment
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Interpretability in neural networks
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Efficient training of large language models (LLMs)
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AI governance and policy implications
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Multilingual AI systems tailored for global south populations
This effort complements Meta’s ongoing work with LLMs like LLaMA, and its experiments with AI agents across WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook.
The lab is also expected to collaborate with top Indian academic institutions, including IIT Madras, IISc Bengaluru, and international partners on policy and technical standards.
A Strategic Response to OpenAI and Google
Zhao’s hiring represents more than a personnel update—it’s part of Meta’s long-term strategy to challenge OpenAI and Google DeepMind in the global AI race. While Meta’s LLaMA models are already open-sourced and highly competitive, the company has lagged behind OpenAI’s GPT models in terms of market adoption and user engagement.
With Zhao at the helm of superintelligence research, Meta is signaling that it aims to leapfrog traditional metrics of model performance by emphasizing AI safety, governance, and global applicability—areas where Zhao has deep academic and applied experience.
“Meta wants to position itself as a leader in not just capability, but in AI ethics and global access. Zhao brings credibility and clarity to that mission,” said AI policy analyst Devika Menon from the Observer Research Foundation (ORF).
India’s Role in Shaping Global AI
India’s AI potential isn’t limited to engineering alone. The country is increasingly influencing AI policy debates, data localization frameworks, and algorithmic transparency. Through initiatives such as:
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IndiaAI Programme led by MeitY
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INDIAai knowledge portal in partnership with NASSCOM
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International forums like the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI)
India has established itself as a democratic counterweight to closed AI development ecosystems in China and parts of the West.
With Zhao’s lab positioned at the center of this evolving landscape, Meta may be looking to shape not just the technology but also the ethics and governance frameworks around AI.
The Economic and Talent Impact
The establishment of the Meta AI superintelligence lab is expected to generate hundreds of high-value jobs in the short term. These roles will span research, engineering, policy, data science, and program management. Meta has already begun recruitment efforts through leading Indian campuses and international job boards.
Industry experts also anticipate that Zhao’s lab could attract Indian AI researchers from abroad, creating a reverse brain drain effect that bolsters domestic innovation ecosystems.
According to Analytics India Magazine, AI startups in India raised over $4.2 billion in funding in 2023 alone. Meta’s presence will likely accelerate venture capital interest in adjacent sectors such as:
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AI-driven healthcare
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Multilingual NLP startups
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Synthetic media and creator tools
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Robotics and IoT with AI integration
What’s Next for Meta?
Meta’s AI agenda under CEO Mark Zuckerberg has pivoted sharply in 2024–25 from just building digital products to investing in foundational AI infrastructure. This includes:
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Open-sourcing LLaMA 3 and beyond
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Scaling compute through custom Meta Training Chips (MTCs)
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Expanding global AI research hubs in Europe, India, and Latin America
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Integrating generative AI into its metaverse and AR/VR ambitions
Zhao’s appointment signals that Meta is doubling down on long-term research, even as other firms focus on short-term productization.
Conclusion
Meta’s hiring of Shengjia Zhao to lead its AI superintelligence lab in India marks a watershed moment for the country's growing influence in global tech leadership. It is also a strong signal of Meta’s intent to compete at the highest levels of AI capability and safety.
With Zhao’s credibility, India’s unmatched talent pipeline, and Meta’s resources, the new lab could set a benchmark for global AI research—one that is open, ethical, and globally inclusive.
For India, it is more than a headline. It is a validation that the world’s next breakthroughs in AI might just emerge from Bengaluru’s buzzing labs and university corridors.
