Meta reportedly attempted to lure key OpenAI personnel by offering massive financial incentives, including $100 million bonuses and annual compensation packages surpassing that figure, according to OpenAI CEO Sam Altman.
In an episode of the Uncapped with Jack Altman podcast released Tuesday, Altman revealed that Facebook’s parent company made the high-stakes overture in an effort to bolster its own generative AI division. Despite the aggressive recruitment push, the effort was ultimately unsuccessful.
Meta and OpenAI are among the leading players in the fast-evolving artificial intelligence space, where top-tier talent has become one of the most competitive and valuable assets.
“It is crazy. I’m really happy that at least so far none of our best people have decided to take them up on that,” Altman told his brother, Jack, in the interview.
The OpenAI cofounder said Meta had made the offers to “a lot of people on our team”.
Meta did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The social media titan has invested billions of dollars in artificial intelligence technology amid fierce competition in the AI race with rivals OpenAI, Google and Microsoft.
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Meta’s chief executive, Mark Zuckerberg, said in January that the firm planned to invest at least $60 billion in AI this year, with ambitions to lead in the technology.
Last week, Meta entered into a deal reportedly worth more than $10 billion with Scale AI, a company specializing in labeling data used in training artificial intelligence models.
As part of the deal, company founder and CEO, Alexandr Wang, will join Meta to help with the tech giant’s AI ambitions, including its work on superintelligence efforts.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman drew sharp contrasts between his company and Meta, particularly in their approaches to talent acquisition and long-term vision in artificial intelligence.
Altman suggested that OpenAI is better positioned to achieve breakthroughs in artificial general intelligence, stating, “OpenAI has a much better shot at delivering on superintelligence.” He criticized Meta’s recruitment strategy, which has reportedly included upfront compensation packages in the nine-figure range, saying such offers may undermine the foundation of a healthy, mission-driven company culture. “I think the strategy of a ton of upfront guaranteed comp and that being the reason you tell someone to join… I don’t think that’s going to set up a great culture,” he said.
Altman also acknowledged Meta’s strengths but cast doubt on its capacity to lead in AI innovation: “There’s many things I respect about Meta as a company. But I don’t think they’re a company that’s great at innovation.”
U.S. media reports have indicated that Meta extended similar lavish salary offers to executives at Scale AI, further highlighting the fierce competition for elite talent in the generative AI race.