Meta Platforms Inc. has a huge budget for hiring top AI talent, but that might not ensure success, according to Helen Toner, a former OpenAI board member and director of strategy at Georgetown’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology.
The recruitment of AI researchers from companies like OpenAI, with salaries reaching tens of millions, and the launch of Meta’s new Superintelligence group follows a period where the Facebook operator gained a reputation for having a “dysfunctional team,” Toner noted. The competition for attracting high achievers from each other’s AI labs has increased among Silicon Valley firms since OpenAI was introduced, she added.
“The question is, can it change Meta’s fortunes and make it a real powerhouse?” Toner asked. “It will be challenging, as there are many organizational politics involved.”
Meta’s issues worsened when China’s AI newcomer DeepSeek emerged this year, presenting serious competition to Meta’s open-source models. “The fact that DeepSeek was outperforming them was really not a good image for the company,” Toner stated.
CEO Mark Zuckerberg is now investing financial resources, but whether he can alter the organizational dynamics and make enough progress to keep top engineers is uncertain. “Can Meta persuade them that they are moving quickly enough?” Toner questioned.
Toner, a prominent figure in artificial intelligence, gained attention initially as a board member of OpenAI and later for her decision to remove Sam Altman from the CEO position in late 2023. After Altman’s brief resignation and return to the role, the Melbourne-educated academic left the board and has since focused on researching the AI competition between the US and China.
According to Toner, this competition is now extending beyond borders as both superpowers seek the business and cooperation of other nations. US firms like OpenAI and Chinese companies such as Alibaba Group Holding Ltd., DeepSeek, and Zhipu AI are pursuing international partnerships with governments and businesses. In South Korea, Kakao Corp. is incorporating OpenAI and other AI services into the country’s most popular social media platform, while Alibaba is expanding its data centers in Southeast Asia.
Toner noted that China has a long-standing history of collaborating with other governments and is gradually diminishing the US tech monopoly worldwide. “They’re certainly making a strong impression,” she remarked. China’s models are widely accessible, even if they are not as technically advanced. They compete by being “more affordable, user-friendly, and customizable.”
Since their disagreement in the November 2023 OpenAI board meeting, Toner has not spoken with Altman. “Eventually, we’ll likely meet at the same event; the AI community is quite small,” she stated. “I’m sure we’ll both be glad to shake hands.”
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