Meta Taps OpenAI’s Trapit Bansal to Boost AI Reasoning Ambitions

 

 

Meta has recruited Trapit Bansal, a prominent former OpenAI researcher, to bolster its efforts in advanced AI research, specifically in AI reasoning models. Bansal, who played a key role in developing reinforcement learning strategies and was a foundational contributor to OpenAI’s o1 reasoning model, departed the organization in June 2025. His move marks a strategic win for Meta AI as it pushes forward with its new AI superintelligence unit.

Bansal joins an expanding team of top AI talent at Meta, including former Scale AI CEO Alexandr Wang, with ex-GitHub CEO Nat Friedman and Safe Superintelligence co-founder Daniel Gross also rumored to come aboard. This wave of AI talent acquisition positions Meta to aggressively compete in the AI reasoning domain, especially against industry leaders like OpenAI and DeepSeek.

Although Meta currently lacks a publicly available reasoning model, Bansal’s appointment is expected to accelerate the company’s development of frontier AI capabilities, rivaling OpenAI’s o3 and DeepSeek’s R1. His expertise will be crucial in shaping Meta’s artificial intelligence strategy and enhancing its profile in next-gen AI reasoning systems.