Zuckerberg's AI recruitment strategy questioned
Helen Toner, who used to be on OpenAI's board, isn't sold on Meta's current AI hiring spree.
She questioned if it'll really make Meta a "real juggernaut," pointing out, "It'll be difficult, there's a lot of organizational politics at play."
Just spending big won't fix things: Toner
Toner didn't hold back about Meta's "dysfunctional internal culture" and said that just spending big—like CEO Mark Zuckerberg is doing—won't fix things if the company can't keep top talent.
She also flagged rising competition from China's DeepSeek, which has already outperformed some of Meta's open-source AI models.
Now at Georgetown University
Toner left OpenAI in late 2023 after a messy board dispute that briefly ousted CEO Sam Altman.
Now at Georgetown University, she focuses on AI policy and US-China tech rivalry.
She's been vocal about the need for stricter rules in AI, arguing that self-regulation hasn't always put public good first.
Vote to oust Altman
Toner was among the board members who voted to remove Altman last year—a move quickly reversed after backlash from Microsoft and OpenAI staff.
She had concerns about Altman's transparency and governance, which could imply a focus on profits over responsible AI development, sparking debates over how much tech companies should regulate themselves versus needing outside oversight.