Meta Platforms froze hiring in its AI division after recruiting more than 50 researchers and engineers from competitors and reorganized the AI organization into Meta Superintelligence Labs with four focused teams. The structure includes a TBD Lab for ambitious advanced AI work, a product team for offerings like the Meta AI assistant, an infrastructure team, and a Fundamental AI Research group for long-term research. The AGI Foundations group behind Llama models was dissolved after recent models underperformed. Investors raised concerns over high salaries and rising stock-based compensation while capital expenditures were adjusted up to $72 billion, and CEO Mark Zuckerberg personally courted candidates with large offers.
Meta Platforms has frozen hiring within its AI division after a months-long period in which it recruited more than 50 researchers and engineers, including talent from OpenAI, Google, Apple, xAI, and Anthropic. According to the Wall Street Journal, this measure took effect last week and is accompanied by a reorganization of the AI department. Meta reports that this is not a cost-cutting measure. It is an internal plan to split the AI organization into four separate teams. A spokesperson called it basic organizational planning, aimed at laying a solid foundation for superintelligence initiatives and annual budget agreements.
All AI activities will now fall under the umbrella concept of Meta Superintelligence Labs, consisting of four teams with their own focus. There will be a TBD Lab for advanced AI development, a team for AI products such as the Meta AI assistant, an infrastructure team, and a department for long-term research called Fundamental AI Research.
Investors are expressing concerns about the extremely high salaries Meta is offering new AI talent. Analysts point to the rising costs of stock compensation, which could come at the expense of shareholder returns if the promised innovations fail to materialize. Meta also adjusted its capital expenditures for this year to up to $72 billion. Under the leadership of CEO Mark Zuckerberg, personal involvement played a prominent role in the recruitment process. He approached candidates directly via email and WhatsApp and, in some cases, offered total compensation packages in the nine figures.
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