Meta is freezing its recruitment of artificial intelligence researchers and restructuring its AI team, an apparent setback after months of spending huge sums on big name hires.
The company has courted top-end AI talent in a bid to overtake rivals after the underwhelming release of an earlier large language model and Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg has openly pushed for progress on so-called superintelligence, or AI that can outperform humans on mental tasks.
Its efforts have been part of a broader talent war across the sector that has seen Big Tech splurge for cutting-edge researchers, but which experts say could ultimately harm broader industry competition and undermine Silicon Valley’s vaunted startup culture.
In a statement, Meta played down the decision, attributing the shift to “some basic organizational planning: creating a solid structure for our new superintelligence efforts after bringing people on board and undertaking yearly budgeting and planning exercises.”
