Meta is aggressively pursuing top AI talent, particularly from OpenAI, to bolster its new 'superintelligence' division. CEO Mark Zuckerberg is reportedly spearheading recruitment, personally contacting engineers and researchers, and offering substantial compensation packages. These offers include signing bonuses reaching up to $100 million, coupled with even larger annual pay. Meta's ambition is to assemble a 50-person team dedicated to achieving artificial general intelligence (AGI).
This recruitment drive is part of Meta's broader strategy to enhance its AI capabilities and compete with industry leaders. The company recently invested $14.3 billion in Scale AI, also recruiting its CEO, Alexandr Wang. Meta is investing heavily in AI infrastructure, with Zuckerberg highlighting the company's capacity to fund multi-gigawatt data centres independently.
Despite the lucrative offers, it appears that OpenAI's key personnel have so far remained loyal. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman suggests this is due to a stronger focus on innovation and a belief in OpenAI's long-term vision for achieving AGI, rather than purely financial incentives.
