Meta is intensifying its recruitment efforts by bringing in more talent from OpenAI. Following the recent hiring of prominent OpenAI researcher Trapit Bansal, new reports indicate that Meta has added four additional researchers from OpenAI to its team: Shengjia Zhao, Jiahui Yu, Shuchao Bi, and Hongyu Ren.
Context Behind the Hiring Spree
This wave of hiring follows the April launch of Meta’s Llama 4 AI models, which reportedly underperformed against the expectations of CEO Mark Zuckerberg. The company also faced criticism regarding the specific Llama version used in a well-known benchmark test.
There has been a public exchange between the two companies about recruitment tactics. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman suggested Meta was offering signing bonuses as high as $100 million, while noting that none of OpenAI’s top researchers had left so far. Meta CTO Andrew Bosworth clarified to employees that while some senior leaders might have been presented with such offers, the actual terms involved more than just a one-time payment.
What The Author Thinks
The fierce competition for AI talent is a natural consequence of the technology’s growing importance. Meta’s aggressive hiring from OpenAI highlights the high stakes involved in leading the AI race. However, flashy signing bonuses are only part of the story — retaining top talent requires a strong culture, cutting-edge projects, and genuine opportunities for impact. Both companies must balance aggressive recruitment with sustainable team building to drive long-term innovation.
