OpenAI CEO Sam Altman disclosed that Meta has made massive $100 million bonus offers to some OpenAI employees as part of its aggressive strategy to build out its artificial intelligence capabilities. Speaking on the Uncapped podcast, Altman said Meta is trying to recruit top AI engineers with exceptionally large signing bonuses and compensation packages.
Despite the lucrative offers, Altman noted that none of OpenAI’s key talent have yet accepted Meta’s proposals. The move underscores the intense competition among tech giants to secure leading AI researchers amid a booming AI race.
Meta, which recently invested $14.3 billion in AI data-labeling firm Scale AI and hired its CEO Alexandr Wang to lead a new superintelligence unit, is looking to catch up with rivals like OpenAI and Google. The company has faced challenges including staff departures and delays in releasing open-source AI models.
Altman added that Meta views OpenAI as its “biggest competitor” in the AI space. Reuters could not independently verify the bonus claims and Meta has not commented.