Meng Chen, from Aofei Temple

Quantum Bit | Public Account QbitAI

Facing Meta's aggressive talent poaching, OpenAI has experienced unexpected internal changes:

This week, the company basically halted operations, and employees are taking a one-week vacation! (Executives continue working)

Wired magazine obtained an all-hands email sent by Mark Chen, OpenAI's Chief Research Officer, to employees, promising to confront Meta directly.

Mark Chen said he and Altman and other senior executives are in constant communication with people who have received offers from Meta.

OpenAI's countermeasures also include readjusting compensation and exploring new ways to recognize and reward top talent. However, he also emphasized a principle: "Although I will try to retain each of you, I will not do so at the cost of fairness to others."

Within just a few weeks, Meta has lured at least eight key researchers away from OpenAI. Mark Chen said:

I now have a strong feeling, as if someone broke into our home and stole something. Please believe we are not standing by idly.

Working 80 hours a week, OpenAI is changing

In the all-hands email, Mark Chen admitted that the company had previously been overly obsessed with the rhythm of regularly releasing products and short-term comparisons with competitors.

Under this pressure, many employees worked up to 80 hours per week.

Multiple sources revealed that OpenAI will be on basic shutdown for a week, giving employees time to recover their energy.

Some employee families have confirmed this news.

But many people think that taking a vacation during Meta's attack is not a good idea, isn't it giving many people time to attend interviews?

An OpenAI employee revealed that the one-week vacation was not a response to Meta, but had been planned long ago.

Some netizens summarized that OpenAI has already delivered more than 16 models and product updates in the first half of 2025, which makes this rest worthwhile.

Another executive added in the all-hands email, "Meta knows we are on vacation this week, so they will use this time to try to pressure you into making quick decisions. If you feel pressured, don't be afraid to contact me."

A former OpenAI employee who worked closely with Altman revealed that Altman had hoped for some eye-catching releases every few months.

But now, this idea seems to be changing, and OpenAI is focusing more on achieving AGI.

Mark Chen said, "We need to continue focusing on the real goal, finding ways to convert computing power into intelligence. This is the main task, while the conflict with Meta is just a side mission."

He also revealed that more supercomputers will be in place later this year.

One More Thing

It's unknown whether Musk knew about OpenAI's vacation in advance, but this week, xAI plans to release its latest large model, Grok 4.

Musk has been sleeping in the office since late last month.

Unconfirmed photos show dozens of tents set up in various corners of the xAI office, forming a sharp contrast with OpenAI's all-hands vacation.

References:

[1]https://www.wired.com/story/openai-meta-leadership-talent-rivalry/

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7521536184674255396/

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