Meta Platforms Inc. recruited two prominent artificial intelligence experts previously employed by Apple Inc., just following the acquisition of their previous supervisor from the smartphone company.
A major social media company has recruited Mark Lee and Tom Gunter for its Superintelligence Labs group, as reported by individuals familiar with the situation. Lee has joined Meta following his departure from Apple recently, whereas Gunter is set to start soon, according to those sources, who requested anonymity since the appointments have not yet been officially disclosed.
The actions represent an ongoing competition for AI expertise within the technology sector. Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, has shown significant intensity in hiring efforts. CEO Mark Zuckerberg has positioned artificial intelligence as the company's primary focus, investing considerably in staff and data facilities in an attempt to remain competitive against companies such as OpenAI and Google.
Gunter departed from Apple last month, as reported by Bloomberg News at that time, and both he and Lee collaborated extensively with Ruoming Pang, head of Apple's large language models group, whom Meta recently recruited earlier this month. In order to attract Pang, Meta provided a long-term salary arrangement valued at more than $200 million, according to Bloomberg.
Lee was recognized as Apple's initial recruit under Pang, whereas Gunter, an esteemed engineer at Apple, was considered among the team's highest-ranking members. After leaving Apple, Gunter joined another artificial intelligence firm and recently left that position.
A representative from Meta chose not to provide a statement, while Apple did not reply to an inquiry for commentary.
Recent additions highlight the ongoing instability within the Apple Foundation Models team, also known as AFM, responsible for developing the tech behind generative AI. Top AI leaders at the company are exploring the use of external models to enhance the Siri virtual assistant and additional Apple Intelligence functions, adding uncertainty to the team's direction.
The team provides updates to research leader Daphne Luong, who serves as a key assistant to AI Senior Vice President John Giannandrea. They are considering strategic adjustments along with Mike Rockwell and Craig Federighi, the software leaders currently overseeing Siri. The plan involves using OpenAI’s ChatGPT or Anthropic PBC’s Claude as the base for Apple Intelligence starting next year.
To introduce promised Siri capabilities to consumers, such as accessing personal information to answer questions, Apple is concurrently working on versions using both its internal models and external technologies. Prior to the release of the updated virtual assistant next spring, the company must choose which core software to implement.
Meta has taken advantage of this instability by providing attractive job opportunities. In numerous instances, Meta is offering pay packages that are multiple times greater than what Apple provides to its AFM engineers. To stop further losses, Apple has started giving certain members of the team—which consists of around 100 individuals—salary increases to encourage them to remain.
Nevertheless, these raises are nowhere near what Meta has offered. For example, Gunter is entering an exclusive group of multiple other AI specialists who are being provided with long-term contracts valued at over $100 million.
This week, Zuckerberg shared on Threads that Meta plans to "allocate hundreds of billions of dollars toward computing power to develop superintelligence," which refers to an enhanced version of artificial intelligence capable of performing tasks more effectively than people. Several of the firm's leading AI experts have been placed at workstations close to Zuckerberg at the company’s office in Menlo Park, California, facilitating smoother teamwork.
He shared on Threads: 'I am dedicated to forming the most exclusive and skilled team in the field.'