Noah Shpak, a Member of Technical Staff at Thinking Machines Lab, has joined Meta on the same day as colleague Christian Gibson, deepening the talent losses at Mira Murati's AI startup. The simultaneous departure of two researchers from Thinking Machines to Meta suggests a coordinated recruiting effort rather than coincidental timing.
Shpak contributed to Thinking Machines' research agenda during the startup's early months, working on the foundational model development that Murati envisioned as the lab's core focus. His decision to join Meta, alongside Gibson, is emblematic of the gravitational pull that well-resourced tech giants exert on AI talent.
The double departure is a setback for Thinking Machines' efforts to build a stable research team, and it mirrors the talent dynamics seen across the AI industry where even well-funded startups backed by prominent founders struggle to retain researchers when Big Tech comes calling with offers that can exceed tens of millions of dollars in total compensation.
