OpenAI is planning a rare, company-wide shutdown next week to give its employees a break after months of long, 80-hour workweeks, according to multiple sources, as reported by Wired. The temporary closure comes at a time when the maker of ChatGPT is trying to hold on to its top talent, while facing aggressive recruitment efforts from Meta, which has reportedly offered some employees signing bonuses as high as $100 million.
The break is seen as unusual for OpenAI, known for its intense work culture as it races to develop artificial general intelligence (AGI). Sources confirmed to Wired that only the company’s executives will continue working during this period.
Meta steps up hiring efforts
OpenAI’s Chief Research Officer Mark Chen, in an internal Slack message seen by Wired, warned employees that Meta might try to use the shutdown to lure researchers away. “Meta knows we’re taking this week to recharge and will take advantage of it to try and pressure you to make decisions fast and in isolation,” Chen wrote.
The timing of the shutdown is seen as sensitive, as Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has already managed to recruit seven OpenAI researchers in recent weeks. Among those hired are key contributors to OpenAI’s reasoning models. Meta’s newly formed superintelligence lab has brought in notable names such as Lucas Beyer, Alexander Kolesnikov, Xiaohua Zhai, and Trapit Bansal, a foundational member of OpenAI’s o1 model team.
OpenAI looks to revise compensation
In response to these developments, OpenAI’s leadership is working to “recalibrate comp” and explore “creative ways to recognize and reward top talent,” Chen informed employees. The company is under growing pressure to stay competitive after CEO Sam Altman shared that Meta had offered some OpenAI staff members signing bonuses of more than $100 million. However, some former employees who recently left the company have described those specific figures as “fake news.”
Despite the fierce competition, Altman has expressed confidence in OpenAI’s ability to retain its top talent. “None of our best people have decided to take them up on that,” Altman said, crediting OpenAI’s strong culture of innovation and its mission-driven approach.
The company, which has been known for frequent product launches, is expected to shift its focus more heavily toward achieving artificial general intelligence as its long-term goal.
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