plowunited.net – Meta Platforms has hired Daniel Gross, former CEO of Safe Superintelligence (SSI), to lead its AI products division. This move comes as Meta intensifies its competition for top artificial intelligence talent. Gross left SSI after the company faced acquisition interest from Meta and others, highlighting the fierce talent war in the AI sector.
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Gross’s arrival at Meta follows his previous tenure at Apple, where he led machine learning and AI after Apple acquired his startup, Cue, in 2013. His experience with predictive search and AI technology adds significant value to Meta’s expanding AI efforts and ambitious development plans.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg recently launched Meta Superintelligence Labs, a division designed to unify the company’s AI initiatives. This move came after Meta’s Llama 4 model faced challenges, and some key AI staff departed. The new lab will be led by Alexandr Wang, former CEO of Scale AI, and Nat Friedman, ex-GitHub chief. Both bring strong AI leadership to Meta’s growing team and a renewed focus on innovation.
Meta has invested heavily in AI, including $14.3 billion into Scale AI and pursuing minority stakes in venture capital firms like NFDG. This firm, co-founded by Gross and Friedman, has funded notable startups such as Safe Superintelligence, Perplexity, and Figma. Meta’s willingness to invest signals its commitment to building a leading position in AI innovation.
Ilya Sutskever Returns as SSI CEO Amid Meta’s Pursuit
After Daniel Gross’s departure, Ilya Sutskever reassumed the role of CEO at Safe Superintelligence, the AI startup he founded last year. SSI recently raised $1 billion to develop advanced AI systems aimed at surpassing human intelligence safely. The company is valued at approximately $32 billion.
Sutskever, who co-founded OpenAI and served as its chief scientist, returned to lead SSI following his exit amid OpenAI’s leadership turmoil in late 2023. He publicly acknowledged Meta’s acquisition attempts but affirmed SSI’s commitment to its mission. The ongoing talent war reflects broader industry dynamics, with tech giants offering lucrative packages and aggressively pursuing acquisitions. Meta’s efforts to recruit high-profile figures like Gross and Sutskever highlight its urgency to innovate and compete in AI.
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Looking ahead, Meta’s Meta Superintelligence Labs and its new leadership team may drive future breakthroughs in AI technology. The company’s strategy includes combining investments, acquisitions, and top-tier talent to regain momentum and build safe, cutting-edge AI systems. SSI’s path under Sutskever will also remain closely watched as the startup advances its ambitious goals.
