Meta Invests in AI Talent and EssilorLuxottica

Meta has offered more than $200 million to recruit Ruoming Pang, who previously led Apple's AI models team, as part of its Superintelligence Labs initiative targeting advancements in artificial general intelligence (AGI). This aggressive recruitment is part of a wider talent war, with Meta attracting top engineers from competitors such as Apple and OpenAI using record compensation packages. Alongside these efforts, Meta has invested $3.5 billion to acquire just under a 3% stake in EssilorLuxottica, the world’s largest eyewear maker and a key partner in the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses project. The partnership has already resulted in strong sales of smart glasses, with plans for expanded production and the introduction of new features across brands including Oakley and Prada. These moves highlight Meta's ambition to lead in both AI development and the smart glasses market amid growing competition from Apple. The collaboration offers EssilorLuxottica access to Meta's technology while providing Meta with a global eyewear distribution network, advancing the adoption of AI-powered wearables.