Latest news with #talentwar
Gizmodo
20 hours ago
- Business
- Gizmodo
Meta Is Breaking OpenAI $100 Million at a Time
The artificial intelligence landscape, once characterized by collaborative innovation, has dramatically shifted into an all-out war for top talent. At the forefront of this aggressive new era stands Mark Zuckerberg's Meta Platforms, orchestrating an unprecedented assault on rival OpenAI. This isn't merely a recruitment drive; it's a clear declaration of war, fueled by a staggering $300 million offer designed to dismantle the very core of its competitor. The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Meta is dangling pay packages so extreme they fundamentally redefine the concept of a 'signing bonus.' For more than ten of OpenAI's most brilliant minds, the offer is a life-altering proposition, with up to $100 million paid out in the first year alone, potentially escalating to $300 million over four years. These are, quite literally, the most extreme financial incentives in tech history, crafted not merely to attract individuals, but to systematically weaken a rival. The ultimate goal: to poach the very minds behind groundbreaking AI systems like GPT (Generative Pre-trained Transformer, a type of large language model capable of understanding and generating human-like text) and accelerate Meta's ambitious dream of achieving artificial general intelligence (AGI), a level of AI capable of performing any intellectual task a human can. When contacted by Gizmodo, a Meta spokesperson referred to comments made last week by CEO Mark Zuckerberg during an interview with The Information. When asked if it was accurate that Meta was spending up to $100 million or $200 million on packages for recruits, Zuckerberg responded, 'So look, I mean, a lot of the specifics that have been reported aren't accurate by themselves. But it is a very hot market. I mean, as you know, and there's a small number of researchers, which are the best, who are in demand by all of the different labs. So I think that it certainly is quite competitive.' He further added, 'There's just an absolute premium for the best and most talented people.' OpenAI Reportedly Shuts Down for a Week as Zuck Poaches Its Top Talent The impact on OpenAI has been immediate and severe, leading to what many are now calling the '$300 Million Brain Drain.' As Gizmodo previously reported, OpenAI has been forced to hit the panic button internally, grappling with a significant exodus of its top researchers. The scale of Meta's poaching became so disruptive that, as Gizmodo also revealed, OpenAI reportedly had to shut down operations for an entire week. This drastic measure was taken to stem the bleeding and reorganize in the face of such aggressive talent acquisition. Key figures, the very architects of OpenAI's most advanced models, were suddenly faced with offers too lucrative to refuse, leaving gaping holes in the company's research and development teams. Now, the full extent of this pressure is clear: Zuckerberg isn't just luring away researchers; he is offering them generational wealth, fundamentally altering their financial futures. OpenAI Hits the Panic Button This aggressive maneuver suggests a coordinated power play aimed at hollowing out OpenAI from within. The Journal's report highlights that Meta is extending these jaw-dropping pay packages even as it struggles to fill the critical role of chief scientist within its own AI division. Despite months of outreach, the company still lacks a singular leader to spearhead its AGI ambitions. This hasn't, however, deterred Meta from attempting to acquire everyone else's top talent. This narrative transcends mere competitive hiring; it is a story of unprecedented escalation. Meta is striving to achieve superintelligence – machines that are smarter than humans and capable of outperforming human intelligence in virtually every field – by poaching the very individuals who built OpenAI's most advanced systems. The strategy appears to be to offer loyalty-level money without a clear leader or a fully defined plan, operating on the premise that if enough high-IQ individuals are gathered in one building, AGI will inevitably follow. And it might be working. The departures from OpenAI are far from over, and the internal mood has reportedly shifted from defiance to dread. OpenAI is bleeding talent at a pace that could fundamentally reshape the entire AI landscape. But Meta's aggressive maneuver raises a profound question for the future of artificial intelligence: Can you truly buy genius, or are you merely renting it? While Meta gains immediate access to unparalleled expertise and accelerates its own AI ambitions, the long-term implications are complex. The culture of a company, the synergy of its teams, and the organic development of groundbreaking ideas are not easily purchased. There's a significant risk that such extreme financial incentives, while effective in the short term, might inadvertently foster a mercenary environment rather than a truly innovative one. For Zuckerberg, this is a clear and strategic play to rapidly close the gap with OpenAI and Google in the fiercely competitive AI race. By siphoning off the very individuals responsible for the advancements that put OpenAI at the forefront, Meta aims to acquire not just talent, but invaluable institutional knowledge, proven methodologies, and perhaps even a piece of the intangible 'magic' that has driven OpenAI's success. Zuckerberg's strategy mirrors how startups often chase product-market fit: if one researcher doesn't get you there, maybe the next one will. If a chief scientist cannot be secured, perhaps the field can simply be outspent until one emerges. The underlying logic is simple: build the smartest team in the world, pay them more than anyone ever has, and task them with chasing god-level AI. However, building superintelligence is a vastly different endeavor from scaling a social media application, and Meta's spending spree comes with inherent risks. Throwing $100 million at an individual is not the same as cultivating a cohesive culture, establishing a unified vision, or developing a coordinated research roadmap. Without strong scientific leadership, the lab risks transforming into a gravity well of competing egos and conflicting agendas. For OpenAI, the stakes are nothing short of existential. This battle is not just about who builds the next groundbreaking AI model; it is about who will control the very future of artificial intelligence. A mere year ago, OpenAI stood as the undisputed leader in the field. Today, Meta is leveraging its immense financial power to systematically dismantle that lead. Zuckerberg has publicly stated his ambition for Meta to be the company that 'gets AGI right.' This vision, it appears, begins with owning the premier talent and, by extension, breaking the institution that first cultivated it.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Anthropic's cofounder says Meta's 'mega-offers' weren't enough to lure his team
Big offers from Meta weren't enough to lure members of Anthropic's team, said its cofounder. "People here are so mission-oriented," Benjamin Mann said. Big Tech has always paid well, but the AI talent war has reached new levels, BI previously reported. Not even big offers from Meta were enough to tempt the team at Anthropic, said the AI startup's cofounder, Benjamin Mann. "It's not a hard choice," Mann said on an episode of "Lenny's Podcast" published Sunday. Other AI startups have seen key talent poached by mega paydays. "I think we've been maybe much less affected than many of the other companies in the space because people here are so mission-oriented," he said. "They get these offers and then they say, 'Well, of course I'm not going to leave because my best case scenario at Meta is that we make money, and my best case at Anthropic is we affect the future of humanity." Mann also said he doesn't blame anyone who takes those "mega offers." "Other people have different life circumstances," he said. His comments come as tech giants like Meta and OpenAI engage in a fierce talent war, offering massive payouts to top AI researchers. "I'm pretty sure it's real," Mann said, referring to Meta's $100 million signing bonuses offered to AI engineers. "To pay individuals like $100 million over a four-year package, that's actually pretty cheap compared to the value created for the business," he said. "We're just in an unprecedented era of scale, and it's only going to get crazier." Mann also said that he and several other leaders left OpenAI in 2020 to start Anthropic because "safety wasn't the top priority there." A former researcher told Fortune last year that nearly half of OpenAI's safety team had exited. "People who are primarily focused on thinking about AGI safety and preparedness are being increasingly marginalized," said Daniel Kokotajlo, a former governance researcher. OpenAI said safety remains central to its mission. "Our responsibility to prepare for emerging security threats to users, customers, and global communities shapes everything we do," the company said on its website. The tech giant added that its API and ChatGPT products undergo routine third-party testing to "identify security weaknesses before they can be exploited by malicious actors." Mann, Anthropic, and OpenAI did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider. Bidding war for top AI talent Big Tech has always paid top dollar for elite talent, but the latest AI hiring frenzy has taken things to a whole new level, as BI previously reported. It started when Meta recruited Scale's CEO, Alexandr Wang, last month as part of a $14.3 billion deal to take a 49% stake in his company. Then, Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, said Meta had tried to poach his best employees with $100 million signing bonuses. Meta pushed back, saying that the signing bonuses were not that generous. Meta's CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, announced last month that Wang would co-lead a new superintelligence unit with six top researchers from OpenAI. The bidding war for top AI talent has been likened to sports franchises competing for star athletes like Cristiano Ronaldo. Perplexity's CEO, Aravind Srinivas, said on a podcast published Thursday that Big Tech companies need to ensure that employees are motivated by mission as well as money. "You're encountering new kinds of challenges. You feel a lot of growth, you're learning new things. And you're getting richer, too, along the way. Why would you want to go just because you have some guaranteed payments?" he said. Srinivas also said that he was "surprised by the magnitude" of the salaries Zuckerberg is reportedly offering to top AI researchers, adding that it "seems like it's needed at this point for them." With the massive salaries, "failure is not an option" for Meta's new team, Srinivas said. Read the original article on Business Insider Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Zacks Investment Ideas feature highlights: Alphabet, Meta Platforms, Tesla, Apple and Microsoft
For Immediate Release Chicago, IL – July 17, 2025– Today, Zacks Investment Ideas feature highlights Alphabet GOOGL, Meta Platforms META, Tesla TSLA, Apple AAPL and Microsoft MSFT. Google Goes Windsurfing in the AI War for Talent In a very agile, clever, and surprising move, Google's parent company Alphabet swept into the debris of OpenAI's bid for the AI coding startup Windsurf and came out with the latest and greatest of prize possessions: top talent. On Friday, I had just profiled "Zuck the Poacher" in my weekly dive into all-things AI about the Meta Platforms CEO's aggressive strategy of buying, bribing, and stealing AI talent anywhere he could. Just when we thought the primary battle was between Tesla's Elon Musk and OpenAI's Sam Altman, Mark Zuckerberg not only has been poaching talent from competitors, he also made the first big "acquisition-hire" of the talent wars with the purchase of 49% of private Scale AI for $14.3 billion, as discussed here... The Week in AI: "All incumbents are gonna get nuked." Also on Friday, I did an interview with Bloomberg about how Apple's Tim Cook should be following a similar strategy as Zuck... Apple: Investors Call for Big AI Acquisition As Shares Slump Hours later the story was breaking that Google pulled off their legal "coup." Goliath Outwits David: How Google Navigated the Windsurf Win Windsurf, an AI-native coding platform known for its leading edge in code generation and "agentic coding," became one of the most coveted startups in the race to build advanced developer AI tools. Its flagship products -- like Windsurf Editor -- were adopted by over a million developers and major enterprises, with annual recurring revenue surging from $40 million to $100 million. OpenAI initially entered talks to acquire Windsurf for around $3 billion. However, the deal stalled due to concerns from OpenAI's top financial backer, Microsoft, whose broad IP-sharing agreement would have given it access to Windsurf's technology -- a potential threat given Microsoft's investment in competing products like GitHub Copilot. As the drama ensued, Alphabet stepped in and struck a deal to hire Windsurf's founder and CEO, Varun Mohan, along with other key research and development team members, to join Google's DeepMind AI division. This deal also included a non-exclusive license for Google to use certain Windsurf technologies. According to CNBC, Google paid $2.4 billion as part of this arrangement. Inherit the Windsurf However, the story didn't end there. Just days after the deal with Google, Cognition AI, the company behind the AI coding agent Devin, announced that they had acquired the remainder of Windsurf. This acquisition included Windsurf's intellectual property, product, brand, and the rest of its employees. Essentially, Google secured key talent and a non-exclusive license to some technology, while Cognition AI acquired the company's core assets and the majority of its team. This series of events highlights the intense competition for talent and technology in the rapidly evolving AI coding space. When I first heard this story, I thought "Wow, it's almost like Cognition was a young step-child heir who accidentally benefited from a divorce." That's no slight to the Cognition team, since I know nothing about them. I'm just a student of inheritance, both financial and genetic, and so I cannot resist the opportunity to mention that this week marks the 100th anniversary of the infamous Scopes "Monkey" Trial in Dayton, Tennessee. According to paleoanthropologist John Hawks, "The 1925 'trial of the century' featured a real showdown: a final cross-examination of William Jennings Bryan by counsel for the defense Clarence Darrow." I saw Hawks speak in November at a human evolution event after having read his 2017 book with colleague Lee Berger Almost Human: The Astonishing Tale of Homo naledi and the Discovery That Changed Our Human Story. Hawks will be participating next week in the events marking the centennial of the trial in Dayton and he just published an essay with his observations about science then and now -- "the good, the bad, and the fake" as he writes. I responded to him on X about his announcement... "I recently watched both versions of Inherit the Wind (1960 with Spencer Tracey and 1999 w Jack Lemmon) and was in awe of just how good that screenplay is. Such a great microcosm of society, politics, and religion." Hawks replied... "You're so right. One of the neatest things is that the climactic cross-examination of Bryan by Darrow really happened, and the screenplay is remarkably like the trial transcript." I highly suggest watching either film, or both, this weekend. You will not be disappointed in the performances or the screenplay. How Google Won the Deal: Key Strategy & Tactics Okay, let's get back to the deal of the month in AI because it highlights the "war" going on during the early stages of the gen-AI and agentic-AI goldrush. Here are three "killer" moves by the old, but not tired, Goliath of the web. 1. Non-Acquisition "Acqui-hire" Strategy Structure: Rather than pursuing a full buyout, Google offered about $2.4 billion for a non-exclusive technology license and to hire key talent—including Windsurf CEO Varun Mohan, co-founder Douglas Chen, and several senior R&D staff. The majority of Windsurf's team remained independent, and Windsurf retained the right to license its technology to other firms. Speed & Timing: Once the OpenAI talks collapsed, Google moved rapidly. Within hours of OpenAI officially ending its exclusivity window, Google announced the agreement, effectively outmaneuvering its rivals. 2. Focused on Talent and Technology Leadership Acquisition: Google's DeepMind gained Windsurf's core technical leadership, who will focus on advancing agentic coding for the Gemini AI project—enabling AI systems that not only generate, but autonomously manage and improve, complex software. Technology Licensing: By securing a non-exclusive license, Google gains immediate and deep integration of Windsurf's proprietary AI coding tech into its Gemini and DeepMind platforms, accelerating internal innovation while avoiding regulatory scrutiny that a full acquisition might have invoked. 3. Capitalizing on Competitor Disarray OpenAI's Stumbling Block: IP access requirements demanded by Microsoft—OpenAI's largest backer—created internal friction and "deal fatigue," which led Windsurf to reject OpenAI's overtures. This made Google's less-intrusive, rapid approach more attractive to Windsurf's executives. Neutralizing Microsoft: By structuring the agreement as a talent and license deal, Google sidestepped IP clauses that could have benefitted Microsoft, keeping its competitive advantage intact. Big Benefits for Brin & Co. I've been talking a lot lately about an interview I saw with Google co-founder Sergey Brin and DeepMind founder Demis Hassibas. Brin essentially said that he came out of retirement to work at Google with Hassibas because he thought it was the most exciting time ever to be a computer scientist and he couldn't imagine any missing this opportunity. He also said, with conviction, that Gemini will be the first to AGI (artificial general intelligence), where the model can perform all human intelligence tasks. So what did they gain with the Windsurf win? The Windsurf acquisition was a strategic win for Google's AI ambitions because it allowed the company to rapidly strengthen its leadership in next-generation AI-powered coding tools and agentic AI systems Securing key individuals and technologically advanced code-generation capabilities positions Google as a leader in the next wave of AI for software development and agentic AI experiences. The non-exclusive license avoids excessive regulatory scrutiny and allows both Google and Windsurf to benefit from continued innovation and commercial partnerships. And for investors and analysts I think it adds renewed confidence to the "innovation commitment" for a company that needs to evolve beyond reliance on search-based advertising. Bottom line: This deal demonstrates the new reality of AI M&A strategy, where talent and rapid execution can matter just as much as traditional acquisitions in shaping the future of advanced technology platforms. BREAKING: As I write and we look forward to Alphabet's quarterly report in one week -- where we hope to learn more about leveraging the Windsurf "acqui-hire" -- the Goliath just announced $25 billion in additional investment in AI datacenters with a focus on energy infrastructure. Kevin Cook is a Senior Stock Strategist at Zacks Investment Research where he runs the TAZR Trader portfolio service and keeps his eyes on all-things AI in his multimedia program The Week In AI. Research Chief Names "Single Best Pick to Double" From thousands of stocks, 5 Zacks experts each have chosen their favorite to skyrocket +100% or more in months to come. From those 5, Director of Research Sheraz Mian hand-picks one to have the most explosive upside of all. This company targets millennial and Gen Z audiences, generating nearly $1 billion in revenue last quarter alone. A recent pullback makes now an ideal time to jump aboard. Of course, all our elite picks aren't winners but this one could far surpass earlier Zacks' Stocks Set to Double like Nano-X Imaging which shot up +129.6% in little more than 9 months. Free: See Our Top Stock And 4 Runners Up Media Contact Zacks Investment Research 800-767-3771 ext. 9339 support@ Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Inherent in any investment is the potential for loss. This material is being provided for informational purposes only and nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. It should not be assumed that any investments in securities, companies, sectors or markets identified and described were or will be profitable. All information is current as of the date of herein and is subject to change without notice. Any views or opinions expressed may not reflect those of the firm as a whole. Zacks Investment Research does not engage in investment banking, market making or asset management activities of any securities. These returns are from hypothetical portfolios consisting of stocks with Zacks Rank = 1 that were rebalanced monthly with zero transaction costs. These are not the returns of actual portfolios of stocks. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index. Visit information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Apple Inc. (AAPL) : Free Stock Analysis Report Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) : Free Stock Analysis Report Tesla, Inc. (TSLA) : Free Stock Analysis Report Alphabet Inc. (GOOGL) : Free Stock Analysis Report Meta Platforms, Inc. (META) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research ( Zacks Investment Research Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Globe and Mail
6 days ago
- Business
- Globe and Mail
Zacks Investment Ideas feature highlights: Alphabet, Meta Platforms, Tesla, Apple and Microsoft
For Immediate Release Chicago, IL – July 17, 2025– Today, Zacks Investment Ideas feature highlights Alphabet GOOGL, Meta Platforms META, Tesla TSLA, Apple AAPL and Microsoft MSFT. Google Goes Windsurfing in the AI War for Talent In a very agile, clever, and surprising move, Google's parent company Alphabet swept into the debris of OpenAI's bid for the AI coding startup Windsurf and came out with the latest and greatest of prize possessions: top talent. On Friday, I had just profiled "Zuck the Poacher" in my weekly dive into all-things AI about the Meta Platforms CEO's aggressive strategy of buying, bribing, and stealing AI talent anywhere he could. Just when we thought the primary battle was between Tesla 's Elon Musk and OpenAI's Sam Altman, Mark Zuckerberg not only has been poaching talent from competitors, he also made the first big "acquisition-hire" of the talent wars with the purchase of 49% of private Scale AI for $14.3 billion, as discussed here... The Week in AI: "All incumbents are gonna get nuked." Also on Friday, I did an interview with Bloomberg about how Apple 's Tim Cook should be following a similar strategy as Zuck... Apple: Investors Call for Big AI Acquisition As Shares Slump Hours later the story was breaking that Google pulled off their legal "coup." Goliath Outwits David: How Google Navigated the Windsurf Win Windsurf, an AI-native coding platform known for its leading edge in code generation and "agentic coding," became one of the most coveted startups in the race to build advanced developer AI tools. Its flagship products -- like Windsurf Editor -- were adopted by over a million developers and major enterprises, with annual recurring revenue surging from $40 million to $100 million. OpenAI initially entered talks to acquire Windsurf for around $3 billion. However, the deal stalled due to concerns from OpenAI's top financial backer, Microsoft, whose broad IP-sharing agreement would have given it access to Windsurf's technology -- a potential threat given Microsoft's investment in competing products like GitHub Copilot. As the drama ensued, Alphabet stepped in and struck a deal to hire Windsurf's founder and CEO, Varun Mohan, along with other key research and development team members, to join Google's DeepMind AI division. This deal also included a non-exclusive license for Google to use certain Windsurf technologies. According to CNBC, Google paid $2.4 billion as part of this arrangement. Inherit the Windsurf However, the story didn't end there. Just days after the deal with Google, Cognition AI, the company behind the AI coding agent Devin, announced that they had acquired the remainder of Windsurf. This acquisition included Windsurf's intellectual property, product, brand, and the rest of its employees. Essentially, Google secured key talent and a non-exclusive license to some technology, while Cognition AI acquired the company's core assets and the majority of its team. This series of events highlights the intense competition for talent and technology in the rapidly evolving AI coding space. When I first heard this story, I thought "Wow, it's almost like Cognition was a young step-child heir who accidentally benefited from a divorce." That's no slight to the Cognition team, since I know nothing about them. I'm just a student of inheritance, both financial and genetic, and so I cannot resist the opportunity to mention that this week marks the 100th anniversary of the infamous Scopes "Monkey" Trial in Dayton, Tennessee. According to paleoanthropologist John Hawks, "The 1925 'trial of the century' featured a real showdown: a final cross-examination of William Jennings Bryan by counsel for the defense Clarence Darrow." I saw Hawks speak in November at a human evolution event after having read his 2017 book with colleague Lee Berger Almost Human: The Astonishing Tale of Homo naledi and the Discovery That Changed Our Human Story. Hawks will be participating next week in the events marking the centennial of the trial in Dayton and he just published an essay with his observations about science then and now -- "the good, the bad, and the fake" as he writes. I responded to him on X about his announcement... "I recently watched both versions of Inherit the Wind (1960 with Spencer Tracey and 1999 w Jack Lemmon) and was in awe of just how good that screenplay is. Such a great microcosm of society, politics, and religion." Hawks replied... "You're so right. One of the neatest things is that the climactic cross-examination of Bryan by Darrow really happened, and the screenplay is remarkably like the trial transcript." I highly suggest watching either film, or both, this weekend. You will not be disappointed in the performances or the screenplay. How Google Won the Deal: Key Strategy & Tactics Okay, let's get back to the deal of the month in AI because it highlights the "war" going on during the early stages of the gen-AI and agentic-AI goldrush. Here are three "killer" moves by the old, but not tired, Goliath of the web. 1. Non-Acquisition "Acqui-hire" Strategy Structure: Rather than pursuing a full buyout, Google offered about $2.4 billion for a non-exclusive technology license and to hire key talent—including Windsurf CEO Varun Mohan, co-founder Douglas Chen, and several senior R&D staff. The majority of Windsurf's team remained independent, and Windsurf retained the right to license its technology to other firms. Speed & Timing: Once the OpenAI talks collapsed, Google moved rapidly. Within hours of OpenAI officially ending its exclusivity window, Google announced the agreement, effectively outmaneuvering its rivals. 2. Focused on Talent and Technology Leadership Acquisition: Google's DeepMind gained Windsurf's core technical leadership, who will focus on advancing agentic coding for the Gemini AI project—enabling AI systems that not only generate, but autonomously manage and improve, complex software. Technology Licensing: By securing a non-exclusive license, Google gains immediate and deep integration of Windsurf's proprietary AI coding tech into its Gemini and DeepMind platforms, accelerating internal innovation while avoiding regulatory scrutiny that a full acquisition might have invoked. 3. Capitalizing on Competitor Disarray OpenAI's Stumbling Block: IP access requirements demanded by Microsoft—OpenAI's largest backer—created internal friction and "deal fatigue," which led Windsurf to reject OpenAI's overtures. This made Google's less-intrusive, rapid approach more attractive to Windsurf's executives. Neutralizing Microsoft: By structuring the agreement as a talent and license deal, Google sidestepped IP clauses that could have benefitted Microsoft, keeping its competitive advantage intact. Big Benefits for Brin & Co. I've been talking a lot lately about an interview I saw with Google co-founder Sergey Brin and DeepMind founder Demis Hassibas. Brin essentially said that he came out of retirement to work at Google with Hassibas because he thought it was the most exciting time ever to be a computer scientist and he couldn't imagine any missing this opportunity. He also said, with conviction, that Gemini will be the first to AGI (artificial general intelligence), where the model can perform all human intelligence tasks. So what did they gain with the Windsurf win? The Windsurf acquisition was a strategic win for Google's AI ambitions because it allowed the company to rapidly strengthen its leadership in next-generation AI-powered coding tools and agentic AI systems Securing key individuals and technologically advanced code-generation capabilities positions Google as a leader in the next wave of AI for software development and agentic AI experiences. The non-exclusive license avoids excessive regulatory scrutiny and allows both Google and Windsurf to benefit from continued innovation and commercial partnerships. And for investors and analysts I think it adds renewed confidence to the "innovation commitment" for a company that needs to evolve beyond reliance on search-based advertising. Bottom line: This deal demonstrates the new reality of AI M&A strategy, where talent and rapid execution can matter just as much as traditional acquisitions in shaping the future of advanced technology platforms. BREAKING: As I write and we look forward to Alphabet's quarterly report in one week -- where we hope to learn more about leveraging the Windsurf "acqui-hire" -- the Goliath just announced $25 billion in additional investment in AI datacenters with a focus on energy infrastructure. Kevin Cook is a Senior Stock Strategist at Zacks Investment Research where he runs the TAZR Trader portfolio service and keeps his eyes on all-things AI in his multimedia program The Week In AI. Research Chief Names "Single Best Pick to Double" From thousands of stocks, 5 Zacks experts each have chosen their favorite to skyrocket +100% or more in months to come. From those 5, Director of Research Sheraz Mian hand-picks one to have the most explosive upside of all. This company targets millennial and Gen Z audiences, generating nearly $1 billion in revenue last quarter alone. A recent pullback makes now an ideal time to jump aboard. Of course, all our elite picks aren't winners but this one could far surpass earlier Zacks' Stocks Set to Double like Nano-X Imaging which shot up +129.6% in little more than 9 months. Free: See Our Top Stock And 4 Runners Up Media Contact Zacks Investment Research 800-767-3771 ext. 9339 support@ Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Inherent in any investment is the potential for loss. This material is being provided for informational purposes only and nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. It should not be assumed that any investments in securities, companies, sectors or markets identified and described were or will be profitable. All information is current as of the date of herein and is subject to change without notice. Any views or opinions expressed may not reflect those of the firm as a whole. Zacks Investment Research does not engage in investment banking, market making or asset management activities of any securities. These returns are from hypothetical portfolios consisting of stocks with Zacks Rank = 1 that were rebalanced monthly with zero transaction costs. These are not the returns of actual portfolios of stocks. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index. Visit for information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release. Zacks' Research Chief Picks Stock Most Likely to "At Least Double" Our experts have revealed their Top 5 recommendations with money-doubling potential – and Director of Research Sheraz Mian believes one is superior to the others. Of course, all our picks aren't winners but this one could far surpass earlier recommendations like Hims & Hers Health, which shot up +209%. See Our Top Stock to Double (Plus 4 Runners Up) >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Apple Inc. (AAPL): Free Stock Analysis Report Microsoft Corporation (MSFT): Free Stock Analysis Report Tesla, Inc. (TSLA): Free Stock Analysis Report Alphabet Inc. (GOOGL): Free Stock Analysis Report Meta Platforms, Inc. (META): Free Stock Analysis Report
Gizmodo
16-07-2025
- Business
- Gizmodo
Zuckerberg Isn't Done Stealing OpenAI's Crown Jewels
The battle between Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and OpenAI's Sam Altman for the industry's top AI talent shows no signs of cooling off. This time, Zuckerberg appears to have secured two more researchers from OpenAI. Citing unnamed sources close to the matter, Wired reports that OpenAI researchers Jason Wei and Hyung Won Chung are making their way over to Meta. While at OpenAI, Wei worked on OpenAI's o3 and deep research models. Chung also worked on the company's deep research models with his research focusing on reasoning and agents. Meta and OpenAI did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Gizmodo. While neither Wei or Chung have publicly confirmed the move, they both recently posted cryptic messages on their X (formerly Twitter) profiles. Wei wrote that his research in reinforcement learning (RL), a method for training AI, has taught him 'an important lesson' about how to live his own life. 'The lesson of doing RL on policy is that beating the teacher requires walking your own path and taking risks and rewards from the environment,' he wrote. Wei also reposted a video lecture that Chung uploaded to his X profile early this morning. In the caption, Chung muses on how AI can be leveraged to boost productivity. 'It's cliché to say AI will create massive wealth,' Chung wrote. 'But using this leverage lens lets us interpret the noisy AI news cycle in a consistent way and spot the real opportunities.' Both researchers also did time at Google before joining OpenAI, adding to the growing trend of talent flowing from Google to OpenAI to Meta. Back in June, Meta scooped up three researchers from OpenAI's Zurich office, all of whom were Google alums. So far, Meta has managed to recruit at least 11 former OpenAI employees. Meta's recent hiring spree is part of a broader push to strengthen its AI efforts following the underwhelming launch of its latest model. Zuckerberg has reportedly offered pay packages worth up to $100 million to attract top talent to his new superintelligence lab. Meta has also recently invested $14 billion in the AI startup Scale and tapped its CEO, Alexandr Wang, to help lead the lab. Zuckerberg reportedly even tried — and failed — to recruit OpenAI co-founders Ilya Sutskever and John Schulman. For his part, Altman is putting on a brave face. The Wall Street Journal reported that at an event in June Altman said that his best people had not left the company. 'It's like, OK, Zuckerberg is doing some new insane thing. What's next?' Altman said. Altman has also been recruiting talent himself, poaching engineers from xAI, Tesla, and Meta.
