The race for AI talent has reached new heights, with Meta reportedly offering a staggering $250 million compensation package to 24-year-old AI researcher Matt Deitke. This move underscores the intense competition among tech giants like Meta, Google, and OpenAI to secure the brightest minds in the field.
Deitke, a rising star in AI, previously led the development of Molmo at the Allen Institute for AI and co-founded Vercept, an AI startup. His expertise lies in multimodal AI, which involves creating systems that can understand and interact with various forms of data, including text, images, and sound. This aligns perfectly with Meta's focus on building versatile, human-like AI systems. Deitke's work on 3D datasets and embodied AI earned him an Outstanding Paper Award at NeurIPS 2022.
According to reports, Meta initially offered Deitke a $125 million package over four years. However, Deitke turned down the offer, choosing to continue with his newly founded startup, Vercept, which focuses on AI agents capable of autonomously performing tasks using internet-based software. Vercept, with approximately 10 employees, had already raised $16.5 million from investors, including former Google CEO Eric Schmidt.
Undeterred, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg personally reached out to Deitke. Following their conversation, Meta returned with a revised offer that doubled the original, reaching approximately $250 million in stock and cash over four years. The revised offer reportedly included up to $100 million to be paid in the first year alone. The compensation jump was so significant that Deitke consulted with his peers before ultimately accepting the deal.
Meta's aggressive pursuit of AI talent reflects its determination to lead the "superintelligence" race. The company has reportedly spent over $1 billion to assemble an "all-star roster" for its Superintelligence Labs team, poaching talent from rival firms like OpenAI and Apple. Recently, Meta hired Ruoming Pang, the former head of Apple's AI models team, with a compensation package reportedly exceeding $200 million.
The escalating talent war in AI raises concerns about economic inequality, labor displacement, and the concentration of power in Silicon Valley. Experts warn that mega-compensation deals may exacerbate inequality and disrupt labor markets. MIT economist David Autor remarked, "When computer scientists are paid like professional athletes, we have reached the climax of 'Revenge of the Nerds!'".
Meta plans to invest $72 billion in capital expenditures in 2025 to expand its AI dominance. This includes providing researchers with access to powerful computing resources, with some engineers reportedly promised tens of thousands of GPUs to support their work. As tech companies continue to compete for top AI minds, the recruitment of AI engineers is being followed with the same enthusiasm as professional sports trades, with personalities, compensation figures, and team dynamics under constant scrutiny.
