TL;DR:
- Meta Platforms Inc. hired a team of ten engineers from Oslo-based Graphcore.
- The team specializes in AI networking technology and will work to improve Meta’s data centers’ handling of AI work.
- Meta is relying heavily on AI technology for advertising, post-selection, and content moderation.
- The company is now racing to catch up with competitors like Microsoft Corp and Alphabet Inc by releasing generative AI products.
- The team’s job descriptions on LinkedIn indicated they worked on AI-specific networking technology at Graphcore.
- Graphcore closed its Oslo office last year due to restructuring and competition from U.S.-based firms in the market for AI chips.
Main AI News:
Meta Platforms Inc. has hired a specialized team of engineers from Oslo who were previously involved in developing artificial intelligence (AI) networking technology at Graphcore, a British chip unicorn. The Oslo-based team, comprising ten experts, had reportedly joined Meta in February or March of this year after working at Graphcore until December 2022 or January 2023. Meta spokesperson Jon Carvill confirmed the hirings, saying, “They bring deep expertise in the design and development of supercomputing systems to support AI and machine learning at scale in Meta’s data centers.”
The move will boost Meta’s bid to enhance its data centers’ handling of AI work, which has become critical as teams across the company are looking to create new features that cater to increasing demand for AI-oriented infrastructure. Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, relies heavily on AI technology for targeted advertising, post-selection, and content moderation. Now, Meta is looking to catch up with rivals Microsoft Corp and Alphabet Inc’s Google by releasing generative AI products that can produce human-like writing, art, and other content.
A team of engineers from Oslo, who had previously developed AI-specific networking technology at Graphcore, has been hired by Meta Platforms Inc. Although their LinkedIn profiles indicated that the team worked on AI-specific networking technology, Meta spokesperson Jon Carvill declined to comment on their specific role at the company. Graphcore had closed its Oslo office last year as part of a broader restructuring announced in October, citing stiff competition from dominant U.S.-based companies like Nvidia Corp and Advanced Micro Devices Inc in the market for AI chips.
Conlcusion:
Meta Platforms Inc.’s hiring of a highly-specialized team of engineers from Graphcore indicates the company’s focus on expanding its AI capabilities to enhance its data centers’ ability to handle AI workloads. The move demonstrates the growing importance of AI technology in the social media giant’s strategy as it strives to keep pace with rivals Microsoft and Alphabet in the race to develop generative AI products. This hiring is likely to have implications for the broader market as competition for talent in the AI space intensifies and as tech companies seek to develop AI-focused infrastructure to support new features and services.
