Zuckerberg’s Meta Attempts to Poach OpenAI Talent Amidst AI Race

In a bid to catch up in the AI arms race, Mark Zuckerberg and Meta are aggressively pursuing top talent from OpenAI. This move highlights the growing competition in artificial intelligence and Meta’s determination to build its own “superintelligence” capabilities.

Meta’s Recruitment Efforts

Sam Altman has revealed that Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta Platforms has offered OpenAI employees substantial compensation packages, potentially reaching $100 million, to lure them away from their current roles. However, Altman stated that none of OpenAI’s top employees have accepted the offers so far.

Meta is in pursuit of OpenAI employees, offering signing bonuses up to $100 million, according to Sam Altman.

— CNBC (@CNBC) June 18, 2025

“I heard that Meta considers us their main rival,”

—Sam Altman, OpenAI CEO

In 2023, the AI market was valued at $136.55 billion, and it is projected to reach $1.81 trillion by 2030 (Fortune Business Insights). This underscores the significant investment and competition in the AI field.

Zuckerberg’s “Superintelligence” Ambition

Mark Zuckerberg has a stated goal of building “superintelligence,” a system exceeding human intelligence. The New York Times previously reported that Alexandr Wang would lead a research laboratory dedicated to this goal. Meta has been investing heavily in its Meta AI research division.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=mZUG0pr5hBo%22+loading%3D%22lazy

Altman has criticized Meta’s approach, suggesting it is difficult to cultivate innovation by simply copying competitors. This ongoing struggle highlights the challenges and high stakes of the AI development race.