Sam Altman, Hyung Won Chung, Max Schwarzer, Jason Wei

An annotated screenshot from an OpenAI product announcement video on December 5, 2024 (Screenshot: OpenAI/YouTube)

Two more top OpenAI researchers defect to Meta

At least 10 top OpenAI researchers have now left for Meta’s “superintelligence” team, lured by huge pay packages and massive computing resources.

Jon Keegan

7/16/25 2:10PM

Meta’s hiring spree for its new “superintelligence” team has bagged two new high-profile defectors from OpenAI. Wired reports that Jason Wei and Hyung Won Chung have left their roles at OpenAI for Mark Zuckerberg’s new team of AI all-stars. According to the report, the pair were close collaborators who worked on OpenAI’s o1 and “deep research” models.

Meta has been luring top AI talent from its rivals with eye-popping pay packages and signing bonuses. Reportedly, Meta paid Apple AI exec Ruoming Pang a package worth $200 million.

With these latest poaches, that makes at least 10 AI researchers Meta has been able to tempt away from OpenAI.

While the outsized pay packages are a huge draw, the chance to continue to work with close collaborators at a company that is dedicating tens of billions toward some of the largest AI data centers in the world may also prove to be irresistible for some researchers.

The departures may be taking a toll on morale at the AI startup. Mark Chen, OpenAI’s chief research officer, reportedly told staff that it felt like “someone has broken into our home and stolen something.”

openai happier times 2 — An annotated screenshot from the September 20, 2024, “Building OpenAI o1” video (Screenshot: OpenAI/YouTube)

CEO and cofounder Sam Altman reportedly told his employees in a message on Slack, “What Meta is doing will, in my opinion, lead to very deep cultural problems.”

Jon Keegan3/6/26

OpenAI reportedly delaying erotica feature to focus on “gains in intelligence”

OpenAI is delaying its planned “adult mode,” as it seeks to shore up ChatGPT’s core capabilities before the chatbot can generate erotic content.

A source within OpenAI told tech news site Sources that the company will miss its Q1 target for launching the feature:

“We’re pushing out the launch of adult mode so we can focus on work that is a higher priority for more users right now, including gains in intelligence, personality improvements, personalization, and making the experience more proactive.”

The company said it still believes in “treating adults like adults,” but said it wants to get the experience right. OpenAI has been testing user age estimation technology ahead of the planned release.

Liz Reid on where Google Search ends and Gemini begins

“We’re pushing out the launch of adult mode so we can focus on work that is a higher priority for more users right now, including gains in intelligence, personality improvements, personalization, and making the experience more proactive.”

Rani Molla

3/6/26

Why Apple is moving into the lower-cost smartphone and laptop markets

The luxury tech maker is heading down-market.

Man taking picture of Times Square using smart phone, personal perspective view

Ads have entered the chat

Advertisers are crowding into the next digital frontier.

Rani Molla3/6/26

Jon Keegan3/6/26

Anthropic will sue the Pentagon over supply chain risk designation, Amodei says

Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei said in a public post that the company will sue the Pentagon after receiving a letter from the Department of Defense officially designating Anthropic as “a supply chain risk to America’s national security.”

Amodei says that the effect of the unprecedented designation for an American company is more narrow than originally described, and that most of its customers would not be affected.

“With respect to our customers, it plainly applies only to the use of Claude by customers as a direct part of contracts with the Department of War, not all use of Claude by customers who have such contracts.”

Amodei says the company does not “believe this action is legally sound, and we see no choice but to challenge it in court.”

The CEO also apologized for statements he made in a leaked internal memo in which he claimed that the company was targeted because it didn’t show “dictator-style praise” for President Trump.

Where things stand with the Department of War

“With respect to our customers, it plainly applies only to the use of Claude by customers as a direct part of contracts with the Department of War, not all use of Claude by customers who have such contracts.”

Amodei says the company does not “believe this action is legally sound, and we see no choice but to challenge it in court.”

The CEO also apologized for statements he made in a leaked internal memo in which he claimed that the company was targeted because it didn’t show “dictator-style praise” for President Trump.

$40B💰

Rani Molla3/6/26

SoftBank is going to great lengths to double down on OpenAI — including taking on significant debt. After completing a $40 billion investment to become one of the ChatGPT maker’s largest backers, the Japanese conglomerate is now seeking a roughly $40 billion loan with a 12-month term, Bloomberg reports.

The financing would be SoftBank’s largest-ever dollar-denominated deal. The AI investment has helped lift profits, but it is also pressuring SoftBank’s credit profile.