IITian and ‘highly influential’ OpenAI researcher quits AI firm to join Meta: ‘Thrilled’

In a significant move that reflects the fast-evolving dynamics of the artificial intelligence landscape, Indian-origin AI researcher Trapit Bansal has officially exited OpenAI to join Meta, marking another high-profile shift in the ongoing talent war among tech giants.
An IIT Kanpur Alumnus Joins Meta’s AI Vanguard
Trapit Bansal, a graduate in Mathematics and Statistics from IIT Kanpur, confirmed his transition to Meta via a post on X (formerly Twitter), stating, “Thrilled to be joining Meta! Superintelligence is now in sight.” Bansal, who also holds a master’s and PhD in Computer Science from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, was lauded by TechCrunch as a “highly influential OpenAI researcher.” His work has primarily focused on reinforcement learning, a key area in developing autonomous systems and next-gen AI models.
His career includes research internships at elite institutions and companies including IISc Bangalore, Facebook, Google, and Microsoft. From January 2022 to June 2025, he was with OpenAI, contributing to its advancements in reinforcement learning and large language model development.
Meta’s Ambitious Leap Toward Superintelligence
Bansal joins Meta’s newly launched division, Meta Superintelligence Labs (MSL), a bold initiative announced by Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg to centralize and accelerate the company’s AI research efforts. In an internal memo reviewed by Bloomberg, Zuckerberg emphasized his long-term vision: “As the pace of AI progress accelerates, developing superintelligence is coming into sight. I believe this will be the beginning of a new era for humanity.”
To lead this charge, Meta appointed Alexandr Wang, former CEO of Scale AI, as its Chief AI Officer. Zuckerberg hailed Wang as the “most impressive founder of his generation,” underscoring the company's serious intent to dominate the superintelligence race.
Poaching Talent from OpenAI
Meta has reportedly been on a recruitment spree, attracting several influential researchers from OpenAI. Along with Bansal, names like Lucas Beyer, Alexander Kolesnikov, and Xiaohua Zhai have also joined the ranks of Meta’s AI elite. This hiring push hasn’t gone unnoticed. In a June episode of the Uncapped podcast, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman revealed, “Meta started making giant offers to a lot of people on our team with $100 million signing bonuses, more than that in compensation per year.”
The Road Ahead
Meta’s recent setbacks including delays in model releases and talent drain have sparked concern about its AI momentum. However, with fresh leadership, aggressive hiring, and strategic focus, the company is determined to reassert itself as a key player in the AI arms race. Bansal’s addition to Meta's Superintelligence Labs is seen as a major boost to their capabilities and vision.
As AI moves closer to the frontier of superintelligence, the migration of top minds like Trapit Bansal signals a new era of competition and collaboration at the highest levels of research and innovation.