Apple (AAPL, Financials) lost a key artificial intelligence leader to Meta Platforms (META, Financials) as the race for top AI talent intensifies.

Ruoming Pang, who led Apple’s foundational AI models team, is joining Meta’s newly formed Superintelligence Labs, according to a Bloomberg report citing people familiar with the matter. The move reportedly comes with a multi-million-dollar annual compensation package.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has consolidated the company’s AI initiatives under the new Superintelligence division, which will be led by Alexandr Wang, founder and former CEO of Scale AI. Meta recently invested in Scale in a deal that valued the data-labeling startup at $29 billion.

Neither Meta nor Apple has commented publicly on the executive shift.

The hiring reflects escalating competition among tech giants to secure AI leadership as they build advanced models and infrastructure to power next-generation products. Pang’s departure signals Apple’s continued challenge in retaining top AI talent while Meta accelerates its recruitment and investment in generative and superintelligence platforms.

This article first appeared on GuruFocus.