Meta is intensifying its efforts in the AI race by hiring top researchers from rival companies—including OpenAI. One major recent hire is Trapit Bansal, a key contributor to OpenAI’s early ChatGPT models and reinforcement learning systems.
Bansal has now joined Meta’s new Superintelligence Labs, a group focused on developing AI systems that can match or exceed human capabilities.
The move is part of Meta’s larger strategy to become a global leader in artificial intelligence. According to reports, OpenAI has recently lost multiple high-profile researchers to Meta. CEO Sam Altman claims that Meta is offering signing bonuses as high as $100 million to attract top talent.
Bansal, who studied at IIT Kanpur and IISc Bangalore, confirmed his career shift on X (formerly Twitter), writing: “Superintelligence is now in sight.”
The newly formed Meta Superintelligence Labs will be co-led by Alexandr Wang, CEO of Scale AI, and Nat Friedman, former GitHub CEO. An internal memo outlines the lab’s mission to develop advanced AI systems capable of solving complex tasks at human or superhuman levels.
Mark Zuckerberg described the initiative as “the beginning of a new era for humanity,” highlighting the company’s ambition to lead the next phase of AI innovation.
This latest hiring war reflects the intense competition among tech giants to recruit top minds in artificial intelligence, as the race toward superintelligent systems accelerates.
