Meta Platforms has been on a mission to poach top AI talent, making significant strides in its quest for superintelligence. The latest addition to its team is two senior AI researchers, Mark Lee and Tom Gunter, who have joined the Superintelligence Labs team from Apple’s AI division. Lee has already started working at Meta’s Menlo Park campus, while Gunter is expected to join shortly.
The hiring spree comes on the heels of Apple’s head of AI models, Ruoming Pang, being poached by Meta with a whopping pay package of over $200 million. Lee and Gunter, who worked closely with Pang at Apple, are expected to bring their expertise in AI research to Meta’s Superintelligence Labs team.
Meta’s Aggressive Talent Raid
Meta’s talent raid is not limited to Apple alone. The company has also poached top AI researchers from other leading labs, including OpenAI, Google DeepMind, Anthropic, and Scale AI. The latter is a data-labeling startup that Meta invested $14.3 billion for a 49% stake in, bringing its founder and CEO, Alexandr Wang, onboard as Meta’s chief AI officer.
Wang, along with former GitHub CEO Nat Friedman, will co-lead the Superintelligence Labs team. The growing team includes only two Indian-origin researchers, Trapit Bansal and Hammad Syed. Meta is not alone in its quest for superintelligence, as several technology companies are also vying for top AI talent.
What’s Behind Meta’s Superintelligence Push?
Meta’s push for superintelligence is driven by a desire to stay ahead of the curve in artificial intelligence research. The company is investing heavily in AI research and development, with a focus on creating machines that can surpass human intelligence.
The Superintelligence Labs team is working on various AI projects, including natural language processing, computer vision, and reinforcement learning. The team is also exploring the potential applications of AI in various industries, including healthcare, finance, and education.
The Future of AI
The quest for superintelligence is a complex and challenging one, requiring significant investment in AI research and development. However, the potential rewards are significant, with the potential to create machines that can assist humans in various tasks and improve our overall quality of life.
As the AI landscape continues to evolve, one thing is clear: the companies that invest heavily in AI research and development will be the ones that stay ahead of the curve. Meta’s aggressive talent raid is a sign of the company’s commitment to staying at the forefront of AI research, and its willingness to do whatever it takes to achieve its goals.
Originally published on https://www.indiatoday.in/technology/news/story/meta-hires-two-more-apple-ai-researchers-after-poaching-their-boss-for-superintelligence-push-2757837-2025-07-18
