+994512060920
The race in artificial intelligence has reached a new peak. OpenAI’s CEO Sam Altman revealed that engineers and researchers on his team have been receiving “giant offers” from Meta. These packages even include signing bonuses of up to $100 million.
Altman says that although the offers are highly attractive, none of his “best people” have left the company so far. In his view, the reason is not only salary and bonuses, but also the unique culture at OpenAI and its mission to create superintelligence.
Billions in Play
Meta – the owner of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp – is investing record sums to expand in AI. Recently, the company paid $14 billion to acquire 49% of the startup Scale AI.
Experts say that behind such massive investments lies a simple idea: artificial intelligence will transform all business sectors in the future, and the best specialists will shape this process.
Forrester analyst Indranil Bandyopadhyay notes that such high figures reflect companies’ belief that “a handful of elite researchers can make a decisive difference.” According to him, talent acquisition is now “a high-risk but high-reward gamble.”
The Importance of Culture and Mission
Speaking on his brother’s podcast, Sam Altman said he respects Meta’s aggressive approach. He noted that in addition to signing bonuses, Meta promises higher annual salaries and more benefits.
But Altman believes that what keeps people at OpenAI is not just money. It’s about culture, team spirit, and the vision of creating superintelligence. In his view, this vision will ultimately bring “economic rewards and other benefits” as well.
OpenAI and other leading AI companies believe that artificial general intelligence (AGI) is approaching. AGI means that AI systems will be able to think and make decisions like humans – or even better in some cases.
The next stage is superintelligence – AI that will significantly surpass all human cognitive abilities. Altman says OpenAI’s goal is to reach this stage, and this is the strongest motivation for his team.
Record-Breaking Investments
AI is not only on the agenda of Meta and OpenAI, but of all the “big players.” For example, in January, OpenAI announced a $500 billion plan to build next-generation data centers in the U.S. These centers will serve as the foundation for training and running more powerful models.
Tech giants often make sharp statements about their competitors. While Altman expressed respect for Meta, he also said the company is “not very strong in innovation.”
Meanwhile, other major figures – Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk – have openly traded barbs, even suggesting a “battle arena” showdown. This shows that the AI race is not only about billions of dollars and the best minds, but also about image and influence.
Conclusion
The world of AI is changing rapidly: investments are at record levels, tech companies are competing to attract the best experts, and visions are shaping the future of the planet.
Meta is competing with high salaries and bonuses, but what keeps OpenAI’s team together is culture and mission. This proves that in the AI race, victory comes not only with money, but also with ideas and belief.
