Meta Platforms Nabs AI Chip Team From Graphcore

Meta Platforms has recruited a team from Oslo that was previously working on artificial-intelligence networking technology at Graphcore, a chip company based in the UK.

A spokesperson from Meta confirmed the recent hires in response to a request for comment. LinkedIn profiles for 10 individuals indicated that they worked at Graphcore until December 2022 or January 2023, and subsequently joined Meta in February or March of this year. Reuters identified these individuals.

According to Jon Carvill, the spokesperson for Meta, a group of specialized engineers in Oslo have recently joined the infrastructure team. Their expertise in the development of supercomputing systems will support AI and machine learning at scale in Meta’s data centers.

Read more: White House Drafts Regulations For AI Chips

The social media company’s decision to acquire new technology will enhance its data centers’ ability to handle AI work. This move is aimed at meeting the increased demand for AI-oriented infrastructure from various teams within the company that are working on developing new features.

Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has implemented AI technology to aid in advertising targeting, post selection for feeds, and removal of prohibited content from its platforms.

The company is currently developing generative AI products that can produce human-like content, which is seen by investors as a promising area for growth in the technology industry, putting it in competition with Microsoft and Google.

The job descriptions of the 10 employees on LinkedIn showed that they worked on networking technology specific to AI at Graphcore, a company that creates computer chips and systems optimized for AI tasks.