Tencent Holdings, the Shenzhen-based technology giant known for its gaming and messaging platforms, has reportedly hired a senior artificial intelligence (AI) researcher from OpenAI, in what is seen as one of the most notable talent moves from the US AI sector to China.
According to people familiar with the matter, Tencent brought on board Yao Shunyu to help integrate AI across its services. Yao’s LinkedIn profile shows that he previously worked at OpenAI and has also held roles at Google, Microsoft, IBM and Princeton University. Local media reports suggested Yao was offered a compensation package exceeding 100 million yuan. In a post on its WeChat account, Tencent described a headline about the hiring as a “rumour” but did not clarify which details were inaccurate.
The move highlights the increasing competition among global technology companies to secure top AI talent. Meta has also been actively hiring from OpenAI, reportedly for its Superintelligence team. In June, four OpenAI researchers, Shengjia Zhao, Shuchao Bi, Jiahui Yu and Hongyu Ren, left to join Meta. The following month, reports said Meta recruited two more well-known names, Jason Wei and Hyung Won Chung.
However, reports suggest that Meta’s Superintelligence team is already facing instability. Some of the newly hired researchers have returned to OpenAI after brief stints at Meta, raising questions about retention challenges. Wired reported that two members left within a month, while other researchers including Rishab Agarwal, Chaya Nayak, Avi Verma and Ethan Knight have also exited despite lucrative compensation.
The shifting of top researchers between leading AI companies reflects not only the growing demand for expertise but also the fierce competition shaping the future of artificial intelligence worldwide.
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