The AI landscape is seeing intense competition for talent and resources. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has criticized Meta's AI recruitment strategies, calling them 'distasteful' and suggesting Meta isn't attracting top-tier talent despite offering high salaries. Mark Zuckerberg is investing heavily in AI, including a $14 billion investment in Scale AI and offering some AI researchers over $100 million in first-year pay. Microsoft is restructuring its sales approach to better compete with OpenAI and Google, replacing traditional salespeople with technical experts who can demonstrate AI solutions like Copilot. This shift comes amid concerns that Microsoft may be aiming to replace jobs with AI, particularly within Xbox game development. A new bill in Congress is raising concerns about potentially hindering US AI development and favoring China by cutting funding for broadband in states that regulate AI and reducing support for safety net programs. In legal news, a court ruled that using copyrighted books to train AI, as done by companies like Anthropic, constitutes fair use. Meanwhile, the HNSE ASIA AI HARDWARE BATTLE is offering winners a retail showcase in Japan through a partnership with GREEN FUNDING. The US AI Safety Institute has been renamed the Center for AI Standards and Innovation (CAISI), signaling a shift towards prioritizing innovation and global competitiveness. AI startups are currently attracting a significant portion of venture capital, with 53% of global venture capital dollars going to AI startups in the first half of 2025. Exabeam has introduced an AI agent for CISOs on its Nova platform to help security leaders with strategy and reporting.
Key Takeaways
- Sam Altman (OpenAI) criticized Meta's AI recruiting efforts as 'distasteful,' suggesting they aren't attracting top talent.
- Mark Zuckerberg is investing billions in AI, including $14 billion in Scale AI and high salaries for AI researchers at Meta.
- Microsoft is replacing salespeople with technical experts to better compete with OpenAI and Google in the AI market.
- Microsoft is reportedly aiming to replace jobs with AI agents, causing tension among Xbox developers.
- A new bill in Congress is raising concerns about potentially hindering US AI development and favoring China.
- A court ruled that using copyrighted books to train AI, as done by Anthropic, is fair use.
- The HNSE ASIA AI HARDWARE BATTLE offers winners a retail showcase in Japan via GREEN FUNDING.
- The US AI Safety Institute has been renamed the Center for AI Standards and Innovation (CAISI), shifting focus to innovation.
- AI startups received 53% of global venture capital dollars in the first half of 2025.
- Exabeam added an AI agent for CISOs on its Nova platform to aid in security strategy and reporting.
Sam Altman says Meta's OpenAI recruiting is 'distasteful'
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman criticized Meta for trying to recruit OpenAI researchers with high pay. Altman called Meta's actions 'somewhat distasteful' in a message to his company. This happened after Meta announced its new AI division, which includes several researchers from OpenAI. Altman suggested Meta wasn't getting OpenAI's top talent.
Altman mocks Zuckerberg's AI hiring, says Meta missed top talent
Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, is pushing back against Mark Zuckerberg's AI recruitment efforts. Altman said Meta didn't hire OpenAI's 'top people' despite trying for a long time. Meta recently hired several OpenAI researchers, including Trapit Bansal and Shuchao Bi. Altman believes OpenAI stock has more potential than Meta's and that Meta's actions could cause cultural problems.
Zuckerberg spends big to win AI talent war
Mark Zuckerberg is investing billions to recruit top AI talent from companies like OpenAI. Meta is offering some AI researchers over $100 million in total pay for the first year. This has caused a surge in AI salaries as companies compete to keep their employees. Zuckerberg's biggest move was investing $14 billion in Scale AI and making its co-founder Meta's chief AI officer.
Microsoft shifts AI sales strategy, cuts jobs for technical roles
Microsoft is changing how it sells AI, focusing on technical experts instead of traditional salespeople. The company wants to be the top AI firm and believes selling AI needs deep technical knowledge. Microsoft is laying off salespeople and hiring more solution architects and AI engineers. They will focus on selling and implementing AI solutions like Copilot to help customers.
Microsoft replaces salespeople with technical experts to battle OpenAI, Google
Microsoft is replacing many laid-off salespeople with more technical employees to better compete in AI. The company is cutting traditional sales roles and hiring 'solutions engineers' who can demo AI tools. Customers said they wanted to talk to technical people sooner in the sales process. This change comes as Microsoft faces competition from OpenAI and Google in the AI market.
New bill could hurt US AI development, favor China
A new bill in Congress is raising concerns about the future of AI in the US. Some worry it could give China an advantage in AI development. The bill cuts funding for broadband in states that regulate AI. It also reduces support for safety net programs, which could hurt people who lose jobs to automation. Changes to energy policies may also make it harder to power the data centers needed for AI.
AI training with copyrighted books is fair use, court rules
A court ruled that using copyrighted books to train AI is fair use. The ruling came in a case involving Anthropic, an AI company. The court said using books to train AI is transformative and doesn't hurt the market for the books. However, using pirated copies of books for other purposes is not fair use. This decision helps clarify the legal issues around AI training and copyright.
AI hardware competition offers retail showcase in Japan
The HNSE ASIA AI HARDWARE BATTLE is offering an expanded prize for winners this year. The top 10 winners will get a two-week showcase in Japanese retail stores, including Tsutaya Books. This is thanks to a partnership with GREEN FUNDING, a Japanese crowdfunding platform. The competition is for AI-driven hardware products in areas like smart home and robotics. Applications are due July 12, 2025.
Microsoft aims to replace jobs with AI, says developer
Tensions are high among Xbox developers after recent Microsoft layoffs. An anonymous source said Microsoft is trying to replace jobs with AI agents. The source also said Xbox is behind in game development. Halo Studios is working with contractors and may not meet quality expectations. Microsoft has invested heavily in AI and its potential to replace human jobs.
AI could steal your job learn to use it anyway
AI is becoming a big part of many jobs, but it's also causing job anxiety. A recent poll found that many American employees are using AI at work. Some companies are laying off workers to prepare for an AI-forward future. Experts say it's important to learn how to use AI to stay competitive. While AI may not fully automate jobs yet, it's changing the way people work.
US AI Safety Institute renamed, focus shifts to security
The US AI Safety Institute (AISI) is being renamed the Center for AI Standards and Innovation (CAISI). This change shows a shift in priorities towards AI development. The new focus is on innovation and global competitiveness, rather than long-term risk and public safety. Some worry this could ignore the voices of civil society and prioritize speed over scrutiny in AI governance.
AI startups grab most venture capital dollars
AI startups are getting a large share of venture capital funding. In the first half of 2025, AI startups received 53% of global venture capital dollars. In the U.S., that number is even higher at 64%. However, the money is concentrated in a small number of companies. Some worry that this focus on AI could be risky, as big companies are also investing heavily in the field.
Exabeam adds AI agent for security leaders on Nova platform
Exabeam is expanding its Nova platform with an AI agent for CISOs. This new agent helps security leaders use data to create strategies and reports. It can identify gaps and show the value of security teams to executives. Exabeam says this can reduce investigation times and increase analyst productivity. The company is also planning to integrate with partner tools and enhance its channel program.
Sources
- Sam Altman Calls Meta Recruiting Efforts ‘Distasteful’
- Sam Altman scoffs at Mark Zuckerberg’s AI recruitment drive and says Meta hasn’t even got their ‘top people’
- Behind the Curtain: Zuck throws pro athlete money at AI talent moonshot
- Microsoft Memo Lays Out New Strategy for Selling AI as Company Cuts Salespeople
- Microsoft plans to replace many of the salespeople it laid off with more technical roles to compete with OpenAI, Google
- The One Big Beautiful Bill is one big disaster for AI
- Copyrighted Books Are Fair Use For AI Training. Here’s What To Know.
- HNSE ASIA AI HARDWARE BATTLE 2025 with Green Funding · TechNode
- Microsoft 'Trying Their Damndest to Replace Jobs with AI Agents', According to One Developer
- Don’t let AI steal your job
- From Safety to Security: Renaming the US AI Safety Institute Is Not Just Semantics
- AI is eating venture capital, or at least its dollars
- Exabeam Expands its Nova Platform With an AI Agent for CISOs