In the ongoing quest for AI supremacy, Meta is reportedly offering lucrative pay packages to attract top talent to its newly established Superintelligence Lab. While the allure of multi-million-dollar incentives is undeniable, the whispers of a $100 million "signing bonus" for AI researchers have been debunked by a former OpenAI researcher and insights from a leaked internal meeting.
Meta's CTO, Andrew Bosworth, shed light on the compensation structure during a company-wide meeting, suggesting that only a select few in senior leadership roles might be offered such substantial sums. Contrary to popular belief, these offers are not one-time cash payouts but rather a combination of various incentives, often tied to restricted stock unit grants (RSUs), dependent on tenure or performance metrics.
The notion of a four-year pay package worth around $100 million for a very senior leader at Meta is not far-fetched. Historically, Meta's named officers, including Bosworth, have received annual compensation ranging from $20 million to nearly $24 million.
Bosworth addressed the misconceptions, stating that OpenAI's CEO, Sam Altman, was implying that such bonuses were a widespread practice. He clarified that the "market's hot, but it's not that hot," indicating that these high-value offers are not the norm.
The migration of AI researchers to Meta has been a topic of interest, with Lucas Beyer, an expert in computer vision AI, confirming his move from OpenAI to Meta, along with two other leading figures from OpenAI's Zurich office. Beyer dispelled the myth of a $100 million signing bonus, labeling it as "fake news."
Meta's focus on entertainment AI, as opposed to productivity AI, aligns with Beyer's expertise. The company's commitment to this field is evident through its investment in Quest VR headsets and AI-enabled eyewear from Ray-Ban and Oakley.
Despite the absence of $100 million signing bonuses, Meta continues to invest heavily in AI talent acquisition. The company has successfully hired AI reasoning model pioneer Trapit Bansal from OpenAI, who has been with the organization since 2022.
In a significant move, Meta acquired a 49% stake in Scale, with co-founder and CEO Alexandr Wang likely receiving a substantial sum, potentially exceeding $100 million, as part of the deal. The $14 billion acquisition is being distributed to shareholders as a cash dividend, with Wang being a major beneficiary.
While Meta may not be distributing $100 million bonuses indiscriminately, it is evident that the company is not吝啬 in its pursuit of AI expertise. An AI researcher reportedly received, and declined, an $18 million job offer from Meta, opting instead for a more modest yet substantial offer from Mira Murati's Thinking Machines Lab, a burgeoning AI startup. This tale of talent and tantalizing offers highlights the competitive landscape of the AI industry and Meta's strategic efforts to secure its place at the forefront.