The latest news of top AI researchers being hired by Meta out of OpenAI goes viral and prompts concerns around the tech industry. Having recruited Trapit Bansal earlier this week, Meta has now presumably recruited another four researchers: Shengjia Zhao, Jiahui Yu, Shuchao Bi, and Hongyu Ren. Such names are not accidental; they have all contributed to some of the most developed work done at OpenAI.
The move can be interpreted as part of Meta’s wider plans to increase its AI team, particularly after the introduction of its Llama 4 model in April this year. However, it was a significant milestone; the maiden released reports that the model did not exactly meet the soaring expectations of Mark Zuckerberg, whose company had released it. In addition to the pressure, some users and critics raised doubts about the benchmark against which Meta demonstrated the performance of Llama 4.
Meta appears to be willing to match or even surpass in AI development, having hired researchers who are essentially the authorities on OpenAI technologies and approaches. It is not only about filling slots but also about acquiring insider knowledge, enhancing model design, and remaining competitive in a field undergoing rapid development.
However, this talent war between Meta and OpenAI has elucidated controversy as well. Recently, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman tweeted that Meta was paying out signing bonuses of up to $100 million to acquire the best employees. He said beyond those offers, none of our best people has gone. The statement caused doubt regarding who the best really are, with a bunch of major researchers having leapt.
In response, Meta CTO Andrew Bosworth addressed such assertions by informing employees that the offers were more intricate than a singular payout despite the large numbers that could be expounded regarding details. That is a key point, it is usual at this level to have stock options, long-term bonuses and other benefits that make changing it to a cash amount less easy than simply saying it is a set amount.
Ultimately, this demonstrates that AI competition is not just about algorithms and models, but it is about people. The biggest asset is talent, and both companies understand it. With Meta further committing to its AI dreams, particularly following the mixed reviews of Llama 4, snatching some of the best researchers at OpenAI would be its path to rewriting this script. It is yet to be seen whether this strategy will be profitable, but there is one specific thing that should be mentioned: the AI talent war is escalating, and no party intends to give up anytime soon.
Looks like Meta isn’t done poaching talent from OpenAI. Earlier this week, TechCrunch reported that Meta had hired influential OpenAI researcher Trapit Bansal, and according to The Wall Street Journal, it also hired three other researchers from the company.