The AI talent war heats up as Meta challenges OpenAI

Silicon Valley’s fiercest fight right now isn’t about products, it’s about people. As the race to dominate artificial intelligence accelerates, top researchers have become the most valuable players, and competition to recruit and retain them is getting intense.

Meta is offering staggering pay to lure top AI talent, including former OpenAI staff. OpenAI, in turn, is tightening equity deals and offering retention bonuses to hold its ground. The outcome could shape who leads the next chapter of AI.

Meta’s latest move? A new Superintelligence Labs division, reportedly led by Alexandr Wang and Nat Friedman. The message is clear: they are going all in.

As OpenAI and other startups brace themselves, the real question is this — will speed, mission, and vision win the race, or will it all come down to deep pockets?