Zuckerberg’s AI hires disrupt Meta with swift exits and threats to leave

In a surprising turn of events at Meta, Shengjia Zhao, who co-developed OpenAI's ChatGPT, threatened to leave just days after joining the company. This move poses a significant challenge to Mark Zuckerberg's ambitious plans to create 'personal superintelligence.' Reports indicate that Zhao even took steps to return to OpenAI, signing paperwork for his former role. Zhao's swift ascent to the position of Meta's chief AI scientist highlights the chaos surrounding Zuckerberg's extensive restructuring of the company's leadership, a significant shift in the organization's two-decade history. As one of the few remaining founder-CEOs in the tech world, Zuckerberg has traditionally relied on trusted associates like Chief Product Officer Chris Cox to manage key divisions. However, in the race to lead in artificial intelligence, Zuckerberg is increasingly turning to a new generation of executives, including Zhao, former Scale AI CEO Alexandr Wang, and former GitHub chief Nat Friedman. This transition has prompted existing staff to adjust to the evolving landscape of Meta's AI initiatives, as the newcomers strive to establish their influence within the vast $1.95 trillion enterprise led by a hands-on CEO. An investor familiar with the situation remarked, "There are a lot of big personalities in the mix," reflecting the competitive atmosphere among Meta's new AI leadership. Compounding the situation, several newly hired AI professionals have already chosen to depart after only a short period at the company. Notably, machine-learning scientist Ethan Knight left shortly after joining, and former OpenAI researcher Avi Verma completed the onboarding process but did not attend his first day at work, according to insiders.