'Money won't fix it'—Ex-OpenAI board member slams Meta's AI hiring-spree
What's the story
Helen Toner, a former OpenAI board member and director of strategy at Georgetown's Center for Security and Emerging Technology, has questioned the effectiveness of Meta Platforms Inc.'s aggressive recruitment drive for top artificial intelligence (AI) talent. In an interview with Bloomberg TV, she said that simply throwing money at the problem may not be enough to turn around Meta's fortunes in the highly competitive AI space.
Organizational hurdles
Meta has a 'dysfunctional team,' says Toner
Toner stressed that there are "a lot of organizational politics at play" in Meta's AI hiring spree. She also noted that the company has been plagued by a reputation for having a "dysfunctional team." The ex-OpenAI board member's comments come as Meta has been aggressively poaching AI researchers from other companies, including OpenAI, with salaries running into tens of millions of dollars.
Competitive landscape
DeepSeek's emergence as a competitor to Meta
The emergence of the AI start-up DeepSeek as a credible competitor to Meta's open-source models has further complicated the company's position. Toner said, "The fact that DeepSeek was outshining them was really not a good look for the company." She questioned whether CEO Mark Zuckerberg could change organizational dynamics and make progress fast enough to retain top engineers amid these challenges.
Global competition
US v/s China AI race
Toner, who gained prominence as an OpenAI board member and later for her vote to oust Sam Altman from the CEO post in late 2023, has been studying the AI race between the US and China. She said this competition is spilling across borders as both superpowers seek business and collaboration with other countries. US firms like OpenAI and Chinese companies such as Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. and DeepSeek are eyeing international partnerships with governments and businesses.
Market impact
Chinese models compete based on being cheaper: Toner
Toner said China has a long history of working with other governments and is slowly chipping away at the US tech monopoly globally. She noted that while Chinese models are less technically sophisticated, they compete on the basis of being "cheaper, easier to use, and they help you adopt and customize." This further highlights the global competition in the AI space.