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Meta’s New AI Lab Attracts Top Chinese Talent
Meta Platforms has made headlines with its recent expansion into artificial intelligence (AI) through the establishment of the Meta Superintelligence Labs (MSL). This initiative, announced by CEO Mark Zuckerberg in a memo, aims to develop next-generation AI models and deliver “personal superintelligence” that is accessible to all. The lab has already attracted significant attention due to its recruitment of top talent from around the world, particularly from China.
Seven out of the 11 publicly listed hires at MSL are from China, showcasing the strong presence of Chinese professionals in the global AI sector. These individuals include Bi Shuchao, Chang Huiwen, Lin Ji, Ren Hongyu, Sun Pei, Yu Jiahui, and Zhao Shengjia. Each of them has graduated from prestigious Chinese universities such as Tsinghua University, Peking University, Zhejiang University, and the University of Science and Technology of China. Many of them have further pursued advanced studies and careers in the United States.
The recruitment of these high-profile individuals has sparked discussions within China’s tech industry, highlighting the significant contribution of mainland talent to AI research globally. This trend was previously noted by Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, who stated that “50 per cent of the world’s AI researchers are Chinese.” This observation underscores the growing influence of Chinese professionals in shaping the future of AI technology.
Meta’s aggressive hiring strategies have also led to increased competition with rival companies like OpenAI. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman recently criticized Meta for offering signing bonuses as high as US$100 million to attract potential recruits. Altman reportedly expressed concerns about the impact of such tactics on the company’s mission, stating, “Missionaries will beat mercenaries.” He also hinted at a re-evaluation of compensation policies at OpenAI.
Among the new hires, four are graduates of Tsinghua University, often referred to as China’s equivalent to MIT. Chang Huiwen, for instance, completed her studies in the Yao Class programme at Tsinghua’s Institute for Interdisciplinary Information Sciences. She earned her PhD from Princeton University, focusing on image processing. Her career path includes internships at Adobe and Facebook, followed by a Microsoft fellowship in 2016. After working at Google since 2019, she joined OpenAI in 2023, contributing to GPT-4o’s advanced image generation capabilities.
Lin Ji, another Tsinghua graduate, earned his PhD from MIT in 2023. He has interned at Google, Adobe, and Nvidia before joining OpenAI in November 2023 to specialize in multimodal reasoning and synthetic data. Similarly, Sun Pei, a Tsinghua alumnus, obtained a master’s degree from Carnegie Mellon University and worked at Google and DeepMind, playing a key role in developing Gemini AI models.
Zhao Shengjia, who earned his bachelor’s from Tsinghua and a PhD from Stanford, joined OpenAI after completing his studies. He was involved in the development of ChatGPT and other landmark products. Bi Shuchao, who studied mathematics at Zhejiang University, later earned a master’s and PhD from UC Berkeley. His career began at Google, where he optimized Google Ads using deep learning models. He co-founded YouTube Shorts and later joined OpenAI in May 2024.
Ren Hongyu, a Peking University graduate, earned his computer science PhD from Stanford. He has interned at Microsoft, Nvidia, Google, and Apple before joining OpenAI. Yu Jiahui, a graduate of the Special Class for Gifted Young programme at the University of Science and Technology of China, earned his PhD at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He has worked at several tech companies, including Microsoft, Megvii, Adobe, Snap, Baidu, Nvidia, and Google, contributing to the development of Gemini.
These individuals represent a powerful blend of academic excellence and professional expertise, reinforcing the global significance of Chinese talent in the AI landscape. Their contributions to Meta’s new initiatives are expected to drive innovation and shape the future of artificial intelligence worldwide.
