Meta-Backed Scale AI Wins $500 Million Defense Department Deal

The Pentagon awarded a $500 million contract to Meta Platforms Inc.-backed Scale AI to help sift through data and assist in decision-making, the latest step in the US military’s effort to rely more on artificial intelligence.

The agreement is a five-fold increase of a $100 million deal the company received in September 2025. The Pentagon was “pushing the limits” on the original contract, Dan Tadross, who leads Scale AI’s public sector business, said in an interview.

“I think this contract is just generally proof that the department is eager to adopt this technology,” Tadross said.

San Francisco-based Scale is ...