OpenAI’s Chief Research Officer Mark Chen has issued a strong internal message vowing to fiercely compete with Meta for top AI research talent, following Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s recent recruitment of four senior OpenAI researchers to join Meta’s superintelligence lab.
In a memo sent to OpenAI employees on Saturday and obtained by WIRED, Chen expressed a deep sense of urgency, comparing the talent losses to “someone [breaking] into our home and stolen something.” He assured staff that OpenAI leadership, including CEO Sam Altman, was working tirelessly “around the clock to talk to those with offers” from Meta. Chen said the company is “more proactive than ever before,” revisiting compensation packages and exploring new ways to reward and retain key talent.
Despite the aggressive push to keep researchers, Chen emphasized a commitment to fairness: “While I’ll fight to keep every one of you, I won’t do so at the price of fairness to others,” he wrote.
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The memo reflects the intensifying battle for AI experts in Silicon Valley, where Meta has reportedly offered some OpenAI staffers $100 million signing bonuses and lucrative first-year compensation, according to Altman’s statements on a podcast. Though some Meta representatives dispute these figures, multiple sources at OpenAI confirmed the scale of the offers. The Wall Street Journal also reported Zuckerberg personally reaching out to potential recruits.
Chen noted Meta’s aggressive recruiting tactics, describing them as “comp-focused packages” aimed at OpenAI’s strongest talent, though with limited success so far. A source close to Meta confirmed the company has significantly increased hiring efforts, particularly targeting researchers from OpenAI and Google. Anthropic, another AI competitor, is seen as a less compatible culture fit for Meta.
Within OpenAI, several research leaders added their own messages encouraging employees to resist pressure from Meta recruiters. One leader urged staffers receiving offers to reject high-pressure tactics and reach out for support during these important decisions.
The talent war comes amid intense workloads at OpenAI, with some employees reportedly working 80-hour weeks. To help staff recharge, OpenAI plans a company-wide slowdown next week, though executives intend to continue working. Leaders warned employees that Meta might try to use this downtime to push for quick decisions, offering support to anyone feeling pressured.
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Chen’s memo also called for renewed focus beyond competition, cautioning against getting distracted by frequent product launches or short-term rivalry with Meta. He urged the team to concentrate on the company’s core mission of advancing toward artificial general intelligence, noting that “skirmishes with Meta are the side quest.”
Closing his message, Chen invited staff to contact him directly, promising to be “recharged and ready to go pound for pound.”
Altman responded publicly on Slack, praising Chen’s leadership and integrity during this challenging period and expressing gratitude for his dedication.
Neither OpenAI nor Meta have provided official comments on the talent battle or compensation packages.
