Meta has recruited Yang Song, a prominent researcher from OpenAI, to join its Superintelligence Lab as “research principal.” Previously leading OpenAI’s strategic explorations team, Song will now report to Shengjia Zhao, who also came from OpenAI and has been steering Meta’s ambitious AI efforts, reports Wired.com.
Song’s move is part of a broader hiring push by Meta. Over the summer, Zuckerberg reportedly brought in at least 11 leading researchers from OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic. At OpenAI since 2022, Song has focused on improving models’ capacity to process large, complex datasets across different modalities. As a graduate student, he developed a technique that influenced the design of DALL-E 2.
The connection between Zhao and Song runs deeper. Both studied at Tsinghua University in Beijing and later pursued PhDs under the same advisor at Stanford. That shared background likely eases collaboration. Zhao’s own role has evolved rapidly: Meta recently formalized his position as chief scientist for its internal AI lab, after earlier speculation that he might displace Yann LeCun in influence.
This recruitment doesn’t come without turbulence. Some researchers who joined Meta’s Superintelligence Lab have already returned to OpenAI. One researcher went so far as to sign onboarding paperwork but never showed up. Another left after just five months to rejoin Microsoft’s AI team.
Meta’s aggressive talent acquisition signals escalating competition in AI research. By bringing in top minds such as Song and Zhao, it aims to position its lab as a credible rival. Whether this strategy bears fruit remains to be seen, but the momentum is unmistakable.