Meta Lures Apple’s AI Chief to Bolster Superintelligence Labs Amid AGI Race

Meta has secured a significant coup in the artificial intelligence arena with the hiring of Ruoming Pang, Apple's former AI chief, to lead its Superintelligence Labs division. The move underscores Meta's aggressive push to compete with OpenAI, Google DeepMind, and Anthropic in the pursuit of artificial general intelligence (AGI). Pang's compensation package, rumored to be worth millions, reflects the escalating talent wars in AI research.

The recruitment follows Meta's earlier high-profile acquisitions, including Scale AI's Alexandr Wang and GitHub's Nat Friedman, as the company seeks to reposition itself as a leader in advanced AI development. However, internal challenges persist—notably, the lukewarm reception to its open-source Llama 4 model earlier this year, which prompted a strategic shift in recruitment priorities.

Meta's compensation-heavy approach contrasts sharply with competitors' culture-driven hiring models. The company's willingness to deploy substantial financial incentives highlights the premium placed on elite AI talent as the AGI race intensifies.