OpenAI’s Weeklong Shutdown Signals Strain in AI Talent Wars

OpenAI has scheduled a rare company-wide shutdown next week to give its staff a much-needed break after several intense months of 80-hour workweeks, WIRED reported.

The move follows Facebook and WhatsApp parent Meta Inc.’s $100 million offers to OpenAI staff and its successful hire of four senior researchers for CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s new superintelligence lab.

The Meta CEO has also been personally reaching out to potential recruits, The Wall Street Journal reported.

OpenAI Chief Research Officer Mark Chen, in an internal memo shared with employees, described the poaching as “like someone has broken into our home and stolen something.”

Chen warned employees that Meta may use the shutdown window to pressure employees into making fast decisions, and reassured the team that OpenAI is “recalibrating compensation and exploring other ways to recognize and retain talent.”

The timing of the shutdown is significant: while the operational pause allows employees to recover, executives will remain on duty.

Chen urged employees not to feel rushed or isolated amid external offers, noting leadership will be available to support them.

With top researchers defecting and others visibly shaken, the company’s decision to pause for a wellness week feels less like a perk and more like damage control, Gizmodo reported.

OpenAI’s maneuvres highlight the intensifying competition in the AI space, where workload pressure and financial incentives are key battlegrounds in the race for the best talent.