PhDs, elite lab experience: How Zuckerberg recruits for Superintelligence program
What's the story
Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Meta, is on a mission to build an artificial intelligence (AI) Superintelligence lab. He is personally leading the recruitment drive for this project. The effort is centered around a strategic document called "The List," which contains names of elite AI researchers that Zuckerberg hopes to recruit for Meta's groundbreaking initiatives. According to The Wall Street Journal, most names on The List are PhD holders from top-tier universities such as UC Berkeley and Carnegie Mellon.
Recruitment strategy
Recruiters targeting leading AI research institutions
The researchers have also worked at leading AI research institutions like OpenAI in San Francisco and Google DeepMind in London. These people, mostly in their 20s or 30s, possess a unique skill set. It includes advanced knowledge of calculus, linear algebra, probability theory, and the ability to solve highly complex computational problems.
Direct approach
Zuckerberg's hands-on approach to recruitment
Zuckerberg is personally involved in the recruitment process, going through technical research papers and coordinating with two senior Meta executives over a group chat called "Recruiting Party." Candidates are approached via email, text, or WhatsApp. The focus is on those who have made significant contributions to AI breakthroughs. Despite the cutthroat competition for AI talent in Silicon Valley, Meta has been actively recruiting and has made at least one notable hire.
Industry reaction
Using Slack and Discord groups to exchange offers
The AI research community is a close-knit one, with scientists networking in private Slack and Discord groups to exchange offers. Notably, Meta has approached dozens of OpenAI researchers, intensifying the competition for AI talent. At the helm of Zuckerberg's Superintelligence initiative is Alexandr Wang, founder of Scale AI, whose involvement is one of the most significant in the project.
Countermeasures
OpenAI responds to Meta's strategy
In light of Meta's aggressive recruitment strategy, OpenAI has revamped its pay structure. The company's CTO even penned an open letter urging staff to resist Zuckerberg's offers. Former OpenAI CTO Mira Murati also revealed that Zuckerberg offered multi-million-dollar packages to engineers in her new company, but none accepted the offer.