Zuckerberg: Meta Faces Struggles in AI Talent Race Despite Big Spending

Meta has been pushing hard to grow in artificial intelligence, launching its new Meta Superintelligence Labs (MSL) to compete with rivals like OpenAI, Google and Microsoft. The company even spent $14.3 bn to buy Scale AI, hiring its CEO Alexandr Wang to lead the project.

To attract talent, Meta has reportedly offered signing bonuses as high as $100 mln. But despite the huge offers, several new hires have already left. Ethan Knight quit just a month after joining, while Avi Verma and Rishabh Agarwal also departed before starting their roles. Others, including Rohan Varma and AI product director Chaya Nayak, left for OpenAI.

Experts say money alone may not be enough, as many AI researchers care about values like safety and social impact. Meta recently announced a restructure of its AI division, splitting work into four teams: TBD Lab (focused on superintelligence), Fundamental AI Research, Product & Applied Research and MSL Infra.

The shake-up comes as Microsoft has also begun targeting Meta employees with multimillion-dollar offers.

Kursiv Uzbekistan also reports that Apple will unveil its new iPhone 17 series at its autumn event, Awe-Dropping, on September 9, 2025. The flagship iPhone 17 Pro Max will be available for pre-order from September 12 and begin shipping on September 19.