June 20, 2025

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Meta AI Talent Grab, Microsoft, Google Race, Scale AI Founder Hire

Several major developments are unfolding in the AI space. Meta is aggressively pursuing AI talent and acquisitions, including considering hiring Nat Friedman and Daniel Gross, possibly acquiring part of their NFDG venture fund for over $1 billion, and potentially buying Geometry Ventures. These moves aim to bolster Meta's AI capabilities and compete with Microsoft and Google. Meta has also hired Scale AI founder Alexandr Wang and is targeting OpenAI employees. Meanwhile, LinkedIn cofounder Reid Hoffman is pushing back against fears of mass job losses due to AI, contrasting Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei's warnings. Hoffman likens AI's impact to the introduction of Microsoft Excel, suggesting AI will augment jobs rather than eliminate them. However, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy and Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff are among those warning employees to adapt to AI or risk falling behind, with the World Economic Forum estimating 41% of employers plan workforce reductions due to AI. In AI security, Mindgard CEO Peter Garraghan emphasizes the need to secure AI like software, highlighting the risks of 'Shadow AI' use within organizations. Moomoo Australia is launching an SMSF service to enable investors to use self-managed super funds for cryptocurrency and AI investments. Mattel and OpenAI are partnering to bring AI to toys like Barbie, raising concerns about the impact on children's play. Jabil is investing $500 million to expand its US manufacturing for AI data centers, while Yoast SEO fixed a bug that injected hidden AI code into WordPress content. Pakistan's Field Marshal Asim Munir met with Donald Trump to discuss trade and AI. Cisco is adapting to the AI revolution by building its own silicon and systems for AI, and providing security for AI systems. Lastly, AWS DeepRacer Student Portal is closing in September 2025, with new registrations ceasing in July 2025.

Key Takeaways

  • Meta is in discussions to hire Nat Friedman and Daniel Gross to lead its AI efforts and may acquire part of their NFDG venture fund for over $1 billion.
  • Meta is considering buying Geometry Ventures, an AI venture fund, for over $1 billion to enhance its AI capabilities.
  • Reid Hoffman, LinkedIn cofounder, disagrees with Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei's prediction of mass job losses due to AI.
  • Amazon CEO Andy Jassy and Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff are urging employees to adapt to AI, as the World Economic Forum predicts 41% of employers will reduce their workforce due to AI.
  • Mindgard CEO Peter Garraghan warns against 'anthropomorphizing AI' and emphasizes the need to secure AI like software to prevent security risks.
  • A Mindgard survey reveals widespread 'Shadow AI' use, with many security staff using AI tools without approval.
  • Moomoo Australia is launching an SMSF service to simplify self-managed super fund setup for cryptocurrency and AI investments.
  • Mattel and OpenAI are partnering to bring AI to toys like Barbie, sparking concerns about the impact on children's imaginative play.
  • Jabil is investing $500 million to expand its US manufacturing for AI data centers, aiming to meet the growing demand for AI infrastructure.
  • The AWS DeepRacer Student Portal will close on September 15, 2025, with new registrations disabled starting July 14, 2025.

Meta eyes ex-GitHub CEO Nat Friedman for AI team

Meta Platforms is considering hiring Nat Friedman, former CEO of GitHub, to boost its AI projects. They are also talking to Daniel Gross, Friedman's partner at NFDG investment fund, about joining the company. Meta might also buy part of NFDG. This move shows Meta's focus on AI as big tech companies compete in this area.

Meta wants AI investors Nat Friedman and Daniel Gross

Meta is reportedly in talks to hire AI investors Nat Friedman and Daniel Gross and possibly buy part of their NFDG venture capital fund. Meta wants Friedman and Gross to help lead its AI work. NFDG has invested in AI startups like Character AI and Perplexity. Meta is also hiring top engineers for its artificial general intelligence (AGI) team and CEO Mark Zuckerberg is taking a hands-on approach to AI development.

Meta may buy AI venture fund for over $1 billion

Meta Platforms is discussing buying Geometry Ventures, an AI venture fund, for over $1 billion. This deal would give Meta ownership of Geometry's AI tech and patents. Geometry Ventures was started by Gary Bradski and invests in AI startups, especially those focused on computer vision and machine learning. Meta wants to improve its AI abilities to compete with companies like Microsoft and Google.

Meta considers hiring ex-GitHub CEO Nat Friedman for AI

Meta is reportedly talking to former GitHub CEO Nat Friedman about joining its AI team.

Meta considers $1B buyout of AI fund, hires top talent

Meta Platforms is in talks to buy out an AI venture fund run by Nat Friedman and Daniel Gross for over $1 billion. Meta also plans to hire Friedman and Gross to strengthen its AI team. The fund, NFDG, has stakes in AI startups like Stripe and Character AI. Meta recently invested in Scale AI and hired its founder, Alexandr Wang, and is trying to attract employees from OpenAI.

Meta may hire SSI co-founder Daniel Gross for AI push

Meta is in talks to hire AI investors Nat Friedman and Daniel Gross to lead its AI efforts. Meta is also considering buying part of their venture capital fund, NFDG, for over $1 billion. If Gross joins Meta, he would leave Safe Superintelligence (SSI), which he co-founded with Ilya Sutskever. Meta has been actively seeking top AI talent and recently hired Scale AI CEO Alexandr Wang.

LinkedIn cofounder says AI will change jobs, not destroy them

Reid Hoffman, LinkedIn's cofounder, believes AI will change jobs, but not cause a 'bloodbath'. He disagrees with Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei's warning of mass job losses due to AI. Hoffman compares AI's impact to the introduction of Microsoft Excel, which expanded accountant roles. He predicts that people and AI will work together for many years. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang also disagrees with Amodei's AI job loss predictions.

CEOs warn employees to use AI or risk falling behind

Amazon CEO Andy Jassy warns that AI will eliminate some jobs while creating others. More CEOs are stressing AI's impact on jobs and urging workers to adapt. OpenAI's Sam Altman says AI is producing work similar to junior employees. Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff says future leaders will manage both humans and AI. The World Economic Forum reports that 41% of employers plan to reduce their workforce as AI takes over tasks.

Secure AI like software, says Mindgard CEO

Mindgard CEO Peter Garraghan says AI should be secured like software, not treated like a human. He warns that people are making a mistake by 'anthropomorphizing AI'. This creates security risks because companies are using AI without proper testing and controls. Securing AI needs a strong security plan with threat modeling and testing tools. AI requires new training and methods designed for this different type of software.

Mindgard survey warns of widespread Shadow AI use

A Mindgard survey reveals that Shadow AI is common in organizations, even within security teams. Many security staff are using AI tools like ChatGPT without approval, bypassing security measures. This can expose sensitive data and increase the risk of data leaks and privacy issues. Only 32% of organizations track AI use, and 39% have no designated owner for AI risk. Mindgard CEO Peter Garraghan stresses the need for AI governance and clear accountability.

Moomoo launches SMSF service amid investor complexity

Moomoo Australia found that investors want to use self-managed super funds (SMSFs) for cryptocurrency and AI investments. However, the complexity and cost of opening an SMSF are holding them back. Moomoo is launching a one-stop service to simplify SMSF setup and offer transparent fees. The platform will also provide news and content from SMSF experts. Moomoo's AI assistant will help investors make informed trades.

AI in Barbie toys raises concerns about kids' play

Mattel and OpenAI are teaming up to bring AI to toys, like Barbie, raising concerns about children's play. A decade ago, Mattel released Hello Barbie, an AI doll that listened to kids, but it had security issues and was discontinued. Experts say kids often prefer using their own imaginations with toys. While AI can be a helpful educational tool, putting it in a Barbie may not solve a real problem.

Jabil invests $500M to expand AI data center manufacturing

Jabil is investing $500 million to expand its US manufacturing for AI data centers, planning a new facility in the southeastern US by mid-2026. This investment aims to meet the growing demand for AI infrastructure. Jabil also acquired Mikros Technologies to improve thermal management for data centers. Other companies like Texas Instruments and Micron Technology are also making large investments in US technology manufacturing.

Yoast SEO plugin bug injected hidden AI code

Yoast SEO released an update to fix a bug that added hidden AI HTML classes to content. Copy-pasting text from AI chatbots into WordPress could inject 'data-start' and 'data-end' classes. These classes could be used to identify AI-generated content. The bug was in Yoast SEO Premium, but a quick update removed the classes. Users should update to version 25.3.1 to fix the issue.

Pakistan's Field Marshal Munir meets Trump, discusses trade and AI

Field Marshal Asim Munir, Pakistan's Army Chief, met former US President Donald Trump to discuss trade, AI, and regional issues. The meeting covered trade, energy, AI, and the Iran-Israel conflict. Both sides talked about long-term cooperation and a shared commercial partnership. Trump praised Munir's leadership and his role in preventing a war with India. Munir invited Trump to visit Pakistan.

Cisco quietly adapts for the AI revolution

Cisco is working to become a key part of the AI technology world. Cisco's Jeetu Patel explains how the company is building its own silicon and systems for AI. Cisco provides networking that works with Nvidia's GPUs and offers security for AI systems. They are also building custom AI models for security and networking. Cisco believes a neutral party is needed to provide security for every app developer and model builder.

AWS DeepRacer Student Portal closing in September

The AWS DeepRacer Student Portal will close on September 15, 2025. New registrations will be disabled starting July 14, 2025. Existing users can access content until the closure date. AWS DeepRacer will be available as a solution in the AWS Solutions Library in the future. AWS recently launched an enhanced AI & ML Scholars program with a focus on generative AI and practical AI skills.

Sources

Meta Nat Friedman Daniel Gross NFDG AI Artificial Intelligence Venture Capital Investment Geometry Ventures Gary Bradski Computer Vision Machine Learning Mark Zuckerberg AGI Artificial General Intelligence Scale AI Alexandr Wang OpenAI Ilya Sutskever Safe Superintelligence SSI Reid Hoffman LinkedIn Job Displacement AI Impact Dario Amodei Anthropic Jensen Huang Nvidia Andy Jassy Amazon Sam Altman Salesforce Marc Benioff World Economic Forum Mindgard Peter Garraghan AI Security Shadow AI AI Governance Moomoo SMSF Self-Managed Super Funds Cryptocurrency Mattel Barbie AI Toys Jabil Data Centers Manufacturing Mikros Technologies Thermal Management Texas Instruments Micron Technology Yoast SEO AI Code Injection Pakistan Asim Munir Donald Trump Trade Cisco Jeetu Patel AI Models AWS DeepRacer AWS Solutions Library Generative AI AI Skills AI Talent AI Startups