Microsoft moves to recruit AI experts from Meta with big bucks

Microsoft is betting hard on recruiting AI talent from Meta, Business Insider reports, with an internal list of the developers and researchers at the rival firm who are at the top of Microsoft’s wish list.

To succeed, Microsoft has put in place a new process and set aside a dedicated budget to make competitive offers quickly — often by matching Meta’s already-high compensation. Part of the strategy is a fast-track approach, where candidates classified as “critical AI talent” get the company’s highest possible offer within 24 hours.

Recruitment efforts are led by Microsoft AI, helmed by former Deepmind founder Mustafa Suleyman, and Core AI, led by former Meta executive Jay Parikh, among others. Parikh’s organization is largely made up of former colleagues from Meta.

Meta reportedly offers extreme compensation packages in some cases, with sign-on bonuses of more than $100 million and total pay packages of up to $250 million.