Meta Eyes AI Talent: Explores Acquisition of Sutskever’s Startup and Pursues Key Hires
Meta’s pursuit of top-tier AI talent continues with ambitious moves. Recent reports indicate that Mark Zuckerberg’s company attempted to acquire Safe Superintelligence, the $32 billion AI startup co-founded by former OpenAI chief scientist Ilya Sutskever, according to CNBC.
While Sutskever declined the acquisition, Meta is now reportedly in discussions to hire Safe Superintelligence’s co-founder and CEO, Daniel Gross. The Information reported earlier this week that Meta is also considering hiring former GitHub CEO Nat Friedman to bolster its AI efforts.
Furthermore, Meta is reportedly considering taking a stake in Friedman and Gross’ joint venture firm, NFDG, which has investments in prominent AI startups like Perplexity and Character.AI. This strategic investment could provide Meta with access to cutting-edge AI technologies and insights.
The potential additions of Gross and Friedman could significantly strengthen Meta’s AI superintelligence lab by bringing leadership experience in running and investing in AI research. This move follows Meta’s earlier announcement this month that Scale AI CEO Alexandr Wang and several executives from the data labeling startup would be joining the company.
These strategic hires and potential investments underscore Meta’s commitment to advancing its AI capabilities and competing in the rapidly evolving AI landscape. The company is actively seeking to attract top talent and secure access to innovative technologies to maintain its position as a leader in the tech industry.
