Meta Ramps Up AI Hiring Spree in Race Toward Artificial Superintelligence
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is pouring billions into building what he hopes will be the world’s first artificial superintelligence (ASI) – a form of AI more capable than humans at nearly all types of knowledge work.
The company has been aggressively recruiting some of the AI industry’s top minds, reportedly offering multimillion-dollar pay packages to lure talent away from rivals such as OpenAI, Google, Apple and Anthropic. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman recently claimed that Meta has offered signing bonuses as high as $100 million to attract his staff.
Zuckerberg has made it clear that Meta’s future hinges on leading the next wave of transformative technology. After its costly pivot to the metaverse failed to gain traction, Meta is betting heavily on AI, investing billions in data centers, custom chips, and now a star-studded team of engineers and researchers.
“For our superintelligence effort, I’m focused on building the most elite and talent-dense team in the industry,” Zuckerberg said in a Threads post earlier this month.
The company’s most high-profile hires include Alexandr Wang, founder of Scale AI, who joined Meta as part of a $14.3 billion investment deal and now leads Meta Superintelligence Labs. Former GitHub CEO Nat Friedman has also joined the division, while Shengjia Zhao – a co-creator of ChatGPT – was recently appointed as its chief scientist.
In recent weeks, Meta has also recruited top AI experts from Apple, Google and Anthropic. Multiple outlets have reported that some new hires were offered compensation packages worth hundreds of millions of dollars, though Zuckerberg has downplayed the figures.
The push underscores Zuckerberg’s determination to avoid repeating what happened in the mobile era, when Meta became dependent on operating systems controlled by Apple and Google. By owning the foundational technology of the AI age, Meta aims to cement its relevance in the next big technological shift.
Meta has also partnered with Amazon Web Services to encourage startups to build on its Llama AI model, hoping to establish its technology as a key platform for businesses emerging in the AI boom.
While Meta’s advertising business has already benefited from AI tools, some analysts question how the company’s expensive superintelligence ambitions fit into its long-term business strategy.
“It’s proving to be an incredibly costly race to compete directly with OpenAI and other AI leaders,” said Minda Smiley, a senior analyst at eMarketer.
Still, Meta’s stock is up about 20% this year, and analysts say investors remain supportive of Zuckerberg’s vision – at least for now.
“If he succeeds, Meta won’t just be seen as a social media company anymore,” said Zack Kass, an AI consultant and former OpenAI executive. “This could become Zuckerberg’s defining legacy.”
