Trapit Bansal Quits OpenAI, Joins Meta’s Superintelligence Lab Amid AI Talent War
Indian-origin AI researcher becomes key figure in Silicon Valley's intensifying hiring battle as Meta accelerates its Superintelligence push

San Francisco, July 3: The latest episode in Silicon Valley’s escalating AI talent war took a dramatic turn this week as Trapit Bansal, a rising star in machine learning research and former OpenAI staffer, officially jumped ship to join Meta’s Superintelligence unit. Bansal’s move, confirmed via his post on X (formerly Twitter), has ignited a broader conversation around compensation, ethics, and the race to build artificial general intelligence.
IIT Grad’s Strategic Jump Signals Brain Drain From OpenAI
Trapit Bansal, an Indian-origin computer scientist and alumnus of IIT Kanpur and UMass Amherst, had been working at OpenAI since 2022, with key contributions to reinforcement learning and o1 reasoning model development. His defection to Meta is not an isolated incident—he is reportedly one of at least eight OpenAI researchers who have joined Meta in recent months, as per the New York Post.
While the exact nature of Bansal’s new role remains under wraps, his post on X described his move as “thrilling,” adding that he looks forward to pushing the frontiers of AI under the newly established Superintelligence Labs at Meta. The unit, which is said to be central to CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s long-term AI vision, has been aggressively hiring top talent, sparking backlash from competitors and former employers alike.
Meta’s Hiring Frenzy Sparks Friction With OpenAI
The growing exodus of talent from OpenAI to Meta hasn’t gone unnoticed. In a candid response, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman acknowledged the departure of a few employees but dismissed the idea of a major brain drain. “Some hires have happened,” he said, “but our core team, our best minds, are still here. We’re doubling down on our mission and investing more in the people who make it happen.”
That said, Altman didn’t hold back criticism of Meta’s tactics, suggesting that some of the offers being made were “extraordinarily inflated.” In turn, OpenAI has reportedly boosted its own compensation packages and internal retention strategies to stem further losses.
Meta Calls Accusations “Dishonest,” Denies $100 Million Offers
In a rare public rebuttal, Meta CTO Andrew Bosworth slammed claims that the company was dangling $100 million-plus signing bonuses to lure talent. He called such reports “dishonest,” insisting that while Meta’s compensation packages are indeed competitive, the more extreme figures apply only to very specific cases and were being exaggerated by rival companies.
Meta has positioned its Superintelligence unit as a kind of moonshot R&D division, tasked with building models that can compete—or even outclass—systems developed by OpenAI and Anthropic. With Bansal and other high-profile researchers onboard, the stakes just got higher.
AI Talent Tug-of-War Escalates
What’s unfolding here is more than a simple job hop. It’s part of a broader, high-stakes tug-of-war between companies like Meta, OpenAI, Google DeepMind, and Microsoft-backed startups for the very minds who can define the future of AI.
As per NDTV, industry insiders say the recruitment frenzy has reached fever pitch, with senior engineers and researchers being courted with multi-million-dollar deals, equity buyouts, and flexible research mandates. And unlike previous tech wars, this one isn’t about code or market share — it’s about control over models that could influence how societies function, from healthcare to defense to media.
For OpenAI, which famously lost co-founder Ilya Sutskever and saw the brief ouster of Altman himself last year, this is yet another moment of reckoning. The company is now aggressively raising salaries, reworking contracts, and fast-tracking internal promotions in an effort to keep its people grounded.
Indian-Origin Scientists Rising in Global AI Battle
Bansal’s move also highlights the increasing prominence of Indian-origin researchers in global AI leadership. With alumni from IITs, IISc, and global institutions like MIT and Stanford populating key roles across the top firms, the subcontinent’s tech education ecosystem is now firmly embedded in the fabric of next-gen AI.
That said, questions remain about the long-term implications of this talent drain. “It’s not just a Meta vs. OpenAI story,” said one anonymous researcher quoted by the Hindustan Times. “It’s a battle over the ethics of AI, the culture of science, and who gets to own the future.”
Whether Bansal’s jump turns out to be a visionary pivot or a costly loss for OpenAI, it’s clear that the rules of engagement in Silicon Valley are being rewritten in real time — and researchers like him are at the very heart of that change.
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Saurabh Chauhan is a tech-savvy eLearning specialist with a keen focus on xAPI, SCORM, LMS, and LRS. As co-founder of SV Tech World on YouTube, he explored gadgets and digital tools. At Hindustan Herald, he now breaks down complex tech topics, making innovation accessible and relevant for curious minds.