A prominent executive at Meta criticized Sam Altman from OpenAI, labeling him as “dishonest.” This came after Mark Zuckerberg allegedly claimed to offer a $100 million package to attract leading AI researchers from startups.
“Sam is dishonest here,” stated Andrew Bosworth, Meta’s chief technology officer, during a company-wide meeting on Thursday. According to reports, he remarked, “He suggests we’re doing this for everyone… But really, the market is hot. But not that hot.”
Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, finds itself in intense competition with OpenAI, the creators of ChatGPT, in the race to develop advanced artificial intelligence. Zuckerberg’s recent initiatives include establishing a new AI lab aimed at creating “ultra intelligence” and investing a staggering $14.3 billion.
Altman ignited further speculation the previous week when he appeared on a podcast, mentioning that they have begun making significant offers to team members. “We’ve started offering huge packages to many people on our team,” he shared.
“Actually, more than that (in) annual compensation, like a $100 million signing bonus,” Altman elaborated. He noted, “So far, none of our top talent has taken it.”
Despite Altman’s comments, a few OpenAI researchers have indeed decided to move to Meta within the week that followed. Among them was Lucas Bayer, who confirmed via a post on X that he, along with colleagues Alexander Kolesnikov and Shaofah Zai, received offers from Zuckerberg.
However, Bayer flatly stated, “We didn’t get a $100 million sign-on. That’s fake news.”
One key OpenAI researcher, Trapit Bansal, who played a significant role in creating OpenAI’s first AI inference model O1, has also switched sides. He shared details regarding the issue with TechCrunch.
During the All-Hands Conference, Bosworth conveyed to Meta employees that Altman’s claim lacked crucial context. “What Sam hasn’t mentioned is that he’s attempting to combat all these offers and is thereby creating a limited market for the handful of people willing to accept senior leadership roles,” Bosworth explained.
“Sam tends to exaggerate. In this instance, we understand why he’s doing it. We’re successfully bringing talent from OpenAI,” he concluded, noting that Altman seems unsatisfied with these developments.
OpenAI did not respond immediately to requests for comments regarding Bosworth’s statements.
