The boss of OpenAI, Sam Altman, says members of his team have been getting "giant offers" from rival tech firm Meta, including $100m (£74.3m) "signing bonuses." Meta - which owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp - is attempting to boost the artificial intelligence (AI) side of its business, including recently spending $14bn (£10.4bn) to buy 49% of the startup, Scale AI. However Mr Altman said "at least so far" none of his "best people" had been persuaded to jump ship. BBC News has contacted Meta for a response. Speaking onhis brother Jack's podcast, Sam Altman said he respected Meta's aggression in competing with OpenAI, which makes the world's best known AI-powered product, ChatGPT. He said in addition to the signing bonuses, Meta was offering more than that in "compensation per year", though did not spell out whether that was in wages or stock options and other incentives. But Mr Altman said he thought people were staying at OpenAI because of its "mission" of creating superintelligence and the "economic awards and everything else flowing from that". OpenAI and other AI firms think artificial general intelligence (AGI) is not far off, which would mean AI systems can perform as well as - or better than - humans. Superintelligence is the next step, where the aim is to create AI which can vastly outperform human cognitive abilities. Big tech firms are spending vast amounts of money pursing these goals. For example, in January OpenAIannounced a joint dealwith other funders to spend $500bn on a number of new data centres - which power AI - in the US. Unsurprisingly, Mr Altman said he thinks OpenAI has "a much better shot at actually delivering on superintelligence, and also may eventually be the more valuable company." He said it is "a really special culture" at OpenAI which attracts engineers to the company, especially when it comes to innovation. "There's many things I respect about Meta as a company, but I don't think they're a company that's, like, great at innovation," he told his brother. Though he called Meta's pursuit of superintelligence "rational," he compared it toGoogle's failed attemptat setting up a social media platform to rival Facebook. Sam Altman's comments are just the latest example of the leading figures in tech offering opinions on what their rivals are doing, with podcasts being a popular medium for these sometimes unflattering appraisals. On Joe Rogan's podcast in January, Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg praised Apple's iPhone as "obviously one of the most important inventions probably of all time." But he addedthe company had recently "been so off their game in terms of not really releasing many innovative things." However, that put down is as nothing compared to Mr Zuckerberg's stormy relationship with fellow tech titan Elon Musk, with the pairthreatening to fight each other in a cage. Musk is also currently involved ina legal battlewith Sam Altman over the founding of OpenAI.
OpenAI boss says rivals Meta offering $100m for staff to jump ship
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"OpenAI's Sam Altman Discusses Meta's $100 Million Offers to Attract Talent"
Bbc News
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TruthLens AI Summary
Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, has revealed that his team members are receiving substantial offers from rival tech company Meta, including signing bonuses as high as $100 million. This move comes as Meta aims to enhance its artificial intelligence capabilities, recently investing $14 billion to acquire a significant stake in the startup Scale AI. Despite these enticing offers, Altman noted that, at least for the time being, none of his top talent have been swayed to leave OpenAI. He expressed respect for Meta's aggressive approach in the AI sector, highlighting the competitive nature of the industry as both companies strive to lead in the development of advanced AI technologies. Altman mentioned that Meta's compensation packages, which include more than just signing bonuses, are aimed at attracting talent, but he believes that the mission of OpenAI is a strong motivator for employees to stay loyal to the organization.
The competition between these tech giants emphasizes the race towards achieving artificial general intelligence (AGI) and ultimately superintelligence, where AI systems could potentially surpass human cognitive abilities. OpenAI has made significant investments in infrastructure to support its AI initiatives, including a recently announced plan to spend $500 billion on new data centers in the U.S. Altman remains confident that OpenAI is better positioned to deliver on the promise of superintelligence compared to its rivals. He pointed out the unique culture at OpenAI that fosters innovation, contrasting it with what he perceives as a lack of innovative spirit at Meta. Altman's comments reflect a broader trend in the tech industry where leaders openly discuss and critique competitors, often through popular podcast platforms. This competitive landscape continues to evolve, with high-stakes investments and strategic maneuvering defining the future of AI development.
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