Former OpenAI board member said companies are going to start trying to poach Meta's new AI hires from day one

Helen Toner, a former board member of OpenAI, has raised concerns that Meta may soon face aggressive attempts from rival companies to lure away its newly recruited AI professionals. In a recent interview with Bloomberg, Toner, who stepped down from OpenAI's board in November 2023, emphasized that for Meta to retain its talent, it must demonstrate significant progress in the AI domain. Toner warned that the moment Meta’s new hires settle in, they can expect other companies to begin courting them. As the demand for AI talent intensifies, Meta has ramped up its recruitment initiatives, highlighted by a substantial $15 billion investment in the data-labeling firm ScaleAI. This investment will also see ScaleAI's founder, Alexandr Wang, join Meta as Chief AI Officer, collaborating closely with Nat Friedman, the former CEO of GitHub, to lead Meta Superintelligence Labs. Despite these ambitious moves, Toner cautioned that maintaining these new hires might prove challenging for Meta. She noted that the complexities of organizational politics and the need to navigate internal power dynamics could hinder success. "It's not solely about having the right resources; it's about managing egos within the company," Toner explained. She posed a critical question regarding whether Mark Zuckerberg could alter the organizational culture to support this pivotal project. Criticism of Meta's recruitment strategy is not limited to Toner. Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, expressed disbelief over reports that Meta offered his employees signing bonuses of $100 million to entice them away. In a podcast episode of "Uncapped with Jack Altman," he commented on the implications of focusing excessively on financial incentives rather than fostering a meaningful work environment. Reflecting on her tenure at OpenAI, Toner mentioned her lack of recent interaction with Altman since his brief dismissal as CEO in November 2023, which was attributed to a lack of transparency in his communications with the board. She acknowledged the likelihood of eventually crossing paths again, given the close-knit nature of the AI community, though they have yet to meet since those events unfolded. Representatives from both Toner and Meta have not responded to inquiries from Business Insider regarding these developments.