Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, described the race for AI talent as a fierce competition focusing on a small group of researchers capable of breakthroughs toward superintelligence. Tech giants such as Meta, Microsoft, and Google are offering unprecedented compensation packages to secure top AI engineers. While only a handful are seen as pivotal for major advancements, Altman believes there are many thousands of capable people worldwide. The escalating financial stakes underscore the strategic importance of AI development in technology and business sectors.