Meta recruits three OpenAI researchers for superintelligence push – WSJ

Meta (NASDAQ:META) has hired three OpenAI researchers to join its superintelligence efforts, a recruiting coup intended to help steer Meta Platforms out of an AI crisis, WSJ reported on Thursday.

The social-media giant hired Lucas Beyer, Alexander Kolesnikov, and Xiaohua Zhai, who were all working in OpenAI’s Zurich office, according to people familiar with the matter. The three set up OpenAI’s office in Zurich late last year.

Before that, they worked together at Google (GOOG) DeepMind, the company’s AI unit, the report said.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman recently said that Meta has offered his employees bonuses of $100 million to recruit them, as the tech giant seeks to ramp up its artificial intelligence strategy.

Meta’s (NASDAQ:META) reported efforts to recruit OpenAI employees are the latest indication of the intensifying race to secure top AI talent. The push comes as the Facebook parent ramps up its superintelligence unit in a bid to close the gap with rivals.

The Mark Zuckerberg-led company recently invested $14.3 billion in Scale AI and brought on its CEO, Alexandr Wang, to lead its new superintelligence team.