Meta hires two Apple AI researchers after poaching their boss, Bloomberg reports

Meta Deepens AI Talent Acquisition from Apple

Meta Platforms is expanding its push into artificial intelligence by hiring Mark Lee and Tom Gunter, two prominent researchers from Apple’s AI division, according to a Bloomberg report cited by multiple sources. The duo will join Meta’s Superintelligence Labs team, following the high-profile recruitment of their former boss, Ruoming Pang, who was Apple’s head of large language models.

High-Value Recruitment Packages Signal Intensifying AI Talent War

The move shines a light on the ongoing AI talent war among tech giants. Mark Lee has already commenced work at Meta, while Tom Gunter is expected to start in the near future. The reported compensation for these transitions is substantial: Ruoming Pang’s multi-year package reportedly exceeds $200 million, while Gunter’s is valued at over $100 million[1][2][5].

Key Hires Reflect Uncertainty Inside Apple’s AI Efforts

These defections follow growing uncertainty inside Apple’s Foundation Models team. The company is reportedly weighing whether to integrate third-party AI from providers such as OpenAI (ChatGPT) or Anthropic to bolster the intelligence and productivity of Siri and other on-device features[1][3]. Pang, in particular, ran the team responsible for Apple’s in-house AI models, but Apple’s efforts to match capabilities offered by OpenAI, Anthropic, and Meta have been described as lacking.

Meta's Aggressive Push Into AI Development

• Meta has signaled plans to invest “hundreds of billions” of dollars in developing advanced AI technologies[1].
• The company’s Superintelligence Labs team is quickly acquiring senior talent from Apple and other industry leaders as part of its expansion efforts[1][3].
• Recently, Meta also recruited researchers from OpenAI, Google DeepMind, and other top tech firms[4].

Industry Implications

The recruitment of high-level AI scientists by Meta highlights the growing competition for skilled talent, as tech companies race to dominate the next era of artificial intelligence. As Apple reevaluates its strategy and Meta accelerates its research efforts, the industry could witness even more high-stakes moves among AI leaders[1][2][3][5].