OpenAI has reportedly shut down operations for a week, forcing employees to take a mandatory break.
This follows reports of severe employee burnout and high-stress work culture within the company.
The shutdown coincides with Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg poaching several top AI researchers from OpenAI. This includes at least four elite Chinese researchers who recently left for Meta.
The talent loss triggered a public emotional reaction from an OpenAI employee, Cheng Lu. He expressed deep disappointment on social media, calling it a "huge loss" before deleting his post.
Internally, the week-long closure is framed as a wellness initiative for rest and recovery.
However, it appears to be a response to both the intense work pressure and the recent wave of high-profile departures.
OpenAI researchers reportedly endure grueling 80-hour workweeks in pursuit of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI).
Meta is actively building a new elite AI team by recruiting talent from OpenAI and Google DeepMind. Zuckerberg's strategy is seen as a quiet but significant power play in the AI talent war.
OpenAI has faced previous turmoil, including executive departures and the brief firing of CEO Sam Altman. The current talent exodus and forced break raise questions about deep-seated cultural issues.
This episode reveals the fragility of the AI industry's human infrastructure. It shows that even leading companies pushing world-changing technology are vulnerable to exhaustion, grief, and internal strain under immense pressure.