As Meta ramps up its ambitions to build a next-generation superintelligence lab, OpenAI is dealing with the fallout of a series of high-profile researcher exits. Over the past few weeks, at least eight prominent scientists, including Lucas Beyer, Alexander Kolesnikov, and Xiaohua Zhai, have left OpenAI to join Meta’s expanding AI team. Also, among the departed are Trapit Bansal, Shengjia Zhao, Jiahui Yu, Shuchao Bi, and Hongyu Ren.

These exits have sparked internal concern at OpenAI, prompting an urgent response from its leadership. Chief Research Officer Mark Chen delivered a powerful message to staff on Slack, comparing the wave of resignations to a personal violation. “I feel a visceral feeling right now, as if someone has broken into our home and stolen something,” Chen wrote in an internal memo obtained by Wired. “Please trust that we haven’t been sitting idly by.”

Chen, along with CEO Sam Altman and other senior executives, has been working tirelessly to stabilize morale and counter competitive offers from rivals. According to the memo, OpenAI is in the process of “recalibrating comp” and identifying “creative ways to recognise and reward top talent.”

Despite the urgency, Chen emphasized fairness. “While I’ll fight to keep every one of you, I won’t do so at the price of fairness to others,” he told employees.

The larger context behind OpenAI’s internal push lies in Meta’s aggressive recruitment tactics. Reports from The Wall Street Journal, The Information, and TechCrunch indicate that Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has been personally involved in hiring from top AI organizations like OpenAI and Google. Speaking on a podcast with his brother Jack, Altman claimed that Meta has offered signing bonuses as high as $100 million to some candidates.

However, Meta has pushed back against these claims. According to The Verge, Meta’s CTO Andrew Bosworth called Altman's statement “wildly misleading.” Bosworth clarified that only a “very, very small number” of top-tier hires might receive such figures—and not in lump-sum bonuses. Beyer, Kolesnikov, and Zhai, who confirmed their switch to Meta on X (formerly Twitter), also dismissed the $100 million figure as “fake news.”

In the face of this talent drain, OpenAI is trying to maintain cohesion and focus. Chen’s Slack message featured encouragement from other research leaders. One urged teammates not to be swayed by “ridiculous exploding offers,” while another warned that Meta might use OpenAI’s upcoming company-wide break to approach employees in isolation.

The company has given most of its team a week off to decompress after long hours—some employees reportedly work up to 80 hours weekly. Despite the break, Chen and other leaders assured staff they would be available for support during this period.

Chen’s memo concluded with a reminder of OpenAI’s deeper mission, beyond competitive cycles. “We need to remain focused on the real prize of finding ways to compute into intelligence,” he said. “Skirmishes with Meta are the side quest.”

CEO Sam Altman also responded to the memo, praising Chen for his leadership and resilience. “It’s been really amazing to watch Mark’s leadership and integrity through this process, especially when he has had to make tough decisions,” Altman wrote. “Very grateful we have him as our leader!”