Why Google Should Take Note of Meta’s Savvy Hire

Google might be running away with the AI market right now—as demonstrated by today’s Apple deal—but Meta Platforms can’t be counted out. Meta’s hiring today of former Trump administration official and longtime Goldman Sachs partner Dina Powell McCormick as president and vice chair was a savvy move by Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg. It strengthens the company’s political and financial world connections, which are vital for AI development. 

When was the last time a tech appointment elicited a glowing post from President Donald Trump—like this one? (For more on McCormick’s appointment, catch The Information’s Editor in Chief Jessica Lessin on TITV today.) McCormick also has connections with the Middle East, which will come in very handy. Part of her job is to partner with “governments and sovereigns to build, deploy, invest in, and finance Meta’s infrastructure,” Zuckerberg said today in a Facebook post. He reminded us—not that we needed a reminder—of his gargantuan ambitions in this sphere: “Meta is planning to build tens of gigawatts this decade, and hundreds of gigawatts or more over time.”