Scale AI has hired Google Cloud COO Francis deSouza as CEO, a year after founder Alexandr Wang left the AI infrastructure company for Meta. DeSouza replaces interim chief executive Jason Droege, who led the company after Wang left in 2025 following Meta’s $14.3 billion investment in the startup. DeSouza, who also served as president of Google Cloud’s security products business, said he was drawn to Scale because companies need help turning AI hype into measurable business results. Scale AI built its business providing data and human evaluations for training AI models and has recently expanded into building AI applications for enterprises and governments, including the U.S. Department of Defense. The company’s applications business is on track to overtake its data business within the next 18 months. DeSouza sees the applications business as additive rather than a pivot. The hire signals Scale is looking to turn from an AI infrastructure company into part of the enterprise layer that helps businesses deploy AI. DeSouza’s last day as Google Cloud COO is August 7, 2026.