Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan Give Their Philanthropy a New Direction
The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative refocuses on science and artificial intelligence through its Biohub network.
Mark Zuckerberg and Dr. Priscilla Chan are turning a new page in their philanthropic journey. Their organization, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI), once set out with ambitious dreams — from transforming American education to curing all disease. But over time, those broad goals have evolved into something more focused and long-term: advancing science.
On Thursday, the couple announced a major restructuring of CZI to deepen its commitment to scientific discovery and artificial intelligence.
At the center of this new direction is Biohub, a network of research centers leading CZI’s mission to push the boundaries of science with the help of A.I. As part of the shift, CZI has also brought on the team from an A.I. startup called Evolutionary Scale, naming its chief scientist, Alex Rives, as CZI’s new Head of Science. The amount paid for the acquisition wasn’t disclosed.
Speaking from Biohub’s offices in Redwood City, California, Zuckerberg explained that he and Chan wanted to focus on something that would truly last. “We wanted to put our energy into something that wouldn’t just get undone every few years,” he said. Their hope is to make a lasting, generational impact — something that could shape the future of human health and discovery for decades.
For one of the world’s most visible philanthropic organizations, this marks a defining shift. Founded in 2015, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative has already given more than $7 billion in grants, and the couple has pledged to donate nearly all of their wealth — roughly $256 billion — through the organization.
But as time has passed, their relationship with politics and social causes has shifted. CZI has gradually stepped away from political and social justice initiatives, narrowing its efforts to the scientific realm. Earlier this year, following internal changes, the organization ended diversity-based recruiting, and a school for low-income students founded by Dr. Chan had to close after losing its funding. CZI also reduced its support for local housing nonprofits in May.
The renewed focus on science and A.I. reflects a similar transformation at Meta, Zuckerberg’s company, which owns Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. Meta has gone all-in on artificial intelligence — investing around $70 billion this year alone to stay competitive in the A.I. race.
At the Biohub event, Zuckerberg and Chan announced plans to boost CZI’s computing power tenfold by 2028, supporting A.I.-driven biological research. Among the projects in development: a virtual cell mapping platform, a language model that understands biology, and tools that use A.I. to analyze genetic data and detect diseases faster than ever before.
Biohub’s scientists hope that by harnessing A.I., they can run virtual experiments on a scale far beyond what’s currently possible in traditional labs.
The shift also comes with leadership changes — Steve Quake, CZI’s former Head of Science, stepped down in September.
Dr. Chan, now 40 and still practicing as a pediatrician, says the move is about focusing where they can make the biggest difference. “We’ve seen the greatest returns from our investments in science,” she said. While CZI will continue to support education and housing programs, those areas will take a smaller share of its funding moving forward.
In many ways, this transition feels like the couple’s attempt to build something that truly lasts — a legacy rooted not just in wealth or technology, but in discovery, hope, and the belief that science can make life better for everyone.
