OpenAI in crisis mode as Meta accelerates AI talent grab

In a June 28 internal memo, OpenAI’s Chief Research Officer Mark Chen compared recent staff departures to “someone breaking into our house,” as leadership scrambles to revise compensation and personally engage employees facing outside offers

OpenAI is grappling with a wave of senior-level departures as competition in the artificial intelligence space heats up, prompting the company to launch urgent measures to retain its key talent. The move comes as rival Meta Platforms intensifies its hiring drive, targeting OpenAI’s researchers with highly lucrative offers as part of its ambition to dominate the future of AI.

In an internal memo dated June 28, OpenAI’s Chief Research Officer Mark Chen acknowledged growing concern over the defections, describing the situation as akin to “someone breaking into our house.” The memo, reviewed by Wired, emphasized that company leaders are actively reworking compensation structures and seeking new ways to recognize high-performing team members. Chen added that he, along with CEO Sam Altman, has been personally engaging with employees considering external offers.

Meta’s billion-dollar AI poaching

The urgency follows Meta’s aggressive expansion of its AI division. The company has recently hired four more OpenAI researchers, including Shengjia Zhao, Jiahui Yu, Shuchao Bi, and Hongyu Ren. Other notable exits from OpenAI’s Zurich office—Lucas Beyer, Alexander Kolesnikov, and Xiaohua Zhai—have also joined Meta, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Reports suggest Meta is offering extraordinary compensation packages—up to $100 million in some cases—to secure AI talent. Altman, speaking on a recent podcast, described such figures as “crazy,” underscoring the intensifying war for human capital in the AI industry.

OpenAI warns of poaching tactics

To combat this, OpenAI has issued cautionary advisories to its staff, warning them about "exploding offers"—job proposals with short acceptance windows that often pressure individuals into rushed decisions. Some employees were reportedly contacted during the company’s official break period, raising further concerns internally.

These developments arrive at a critical juncture for OpenAI, which is preparing the next evolution of its advanced AI systems. The recent talent losses have sparked concerns about continuity and team morale at a time when consistency is crucial.

Meta doubles down on superintelligence

Meanwhile, Meta continues to advance its own AI ambitions. The company recently poured $14.3 billion into Scale AI and appointed its founder Alexandr Wang to lead its superintelligence initiative. CEO Mark Zuckerberg has openly stated Meta’s goal to develop AI systems that outperform human capabilities.

As the global AI race accelerates, OpenAI is under pressure to retain its leadership and protect its competitive edge in a high-stakes battle for innovation and influence.