Core Insights - Meta is experiencing significant internal turmoil as high-profile researchers leave the company, highlighting issues with retention and management culture [1][2][23] - The disparity in compensation within Meta's teams, particularly between the Superintelligence lab and other departments, is causing dissatisfaction among employees [4][6][30] - The departure of top talent like Rishabh Agarwal and Bert Maher raises questions about Meta's ability to attract and retain leading AI researchers [10][18] Group 1: Talent Departure - Rishabh Agarwal, a prominent researcher in reinforcement learning, has left Meta for undisclosed opportunities, emphasizing that even high salaries cannot retain top talent [10][11] - Bert Maher, who worked at Meta for 12 years, is joining Anthropic, further illustrating the trend of talent migration from Meta to other AI firms [18][19] - The overall employee retention rate at Meta is only 64%, significantly lower than competitors like Anthropic, which boasts an 80% retention rate [23] Group 2: Internal Management Issues - Former employees have criticized Meta's management culture, citing issues such as low resource utilization and a lack of clear vision, which contribute to employee dissatisfaction [26][28] - A recent open letter from a former researcher detailed problems like forced performance evaluations leading to a culture of fear and competition rather than collaboration [28][29] - The internal competition for resources between different teams, such as the Superintelligence lab and FAIR, is creating further discord and impacting morale [30][31] Group 3: Cultural Misalignment - Many top researchers are rejecting offers from Meta due to a misalignment of values, preferring companies that emphasize ethical AI and long-term goals over rapid scaling and profit [32][36] - The lack of a compelling mission at Meta is causing potential recruits to hesitate, as they seek meaningful work rather than just high salaries [37][38] - The perception that Meta's culture prioritizes speed and profitability over ethical considerations is deterring talent who value responsible AI development [36][39]