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 of 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.
OpenAI researcher Jason Wei will join Meta’s new Superintelligence Lab, reports Wired, citing two sources familiar with the matter. Another team member, Hyung Won Chung, may also join Meta, TechCrunch reported.
Sources told Wired that both the researchers’ internal OpenAI Slack profiles are currently deactivated.
Wei and Chung would be Meta’s latest grab as CEO Mark Zuckerberg works to catch up in the race to AGI, or super intelligence, by luring top tech talent with astounding compensation packages.
Sources told Wired that the two had a close working relationship, which could be why Zuckerberg scooped them both up. Like World War II drafters in the U.K., he seems to have a penchant for bringing on groups who’ve worked together.
TechTimes reported: OpenAI researchers Jason Wei and Hyung Won Chung are joining Meta’s newly formed super intelligence lab, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter. Just a week ago, the company hired Ruoming Pang, the head of Apple’s foundational models group.
Mark Zuckerberg knows that the AI war should not be underestimated; that’s why they are aggressively recruiting AI expert at the moment.
Wei is best known for his work on OpenAI’s o3 and deep research models. Before joining OpenAI in 2023, he worked at Google, where he played key role in a chain-of-though prompting, a technique that trains AI to solve complex problems by thinking through them step by step.
Wei isn’t the only OpenAI researcher leaving Sam Altman’s leadership. Hyung Won Chung, another respected name in deep learning and agent-based AI is also joining Meta’s super intelligence unit. Chung worked closely with Wei at both Google and OpenAI, contributing to o1 model and other advanced research projects.