Meta in talks to hire former GitHub CEO Nat Friedman for AI push
Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, is in advanced talks to hire Nat Friedman, the former CEO of GitHub, as part of its growing artificial intelligence (AI) efforts, according to a report published by The Information on Wednesday. The report, which cites a person familiar with the matter, signals a strategic push by Meta to bring high-calibre leadership into its AI ecosystem at a critical moment in the industry’s evolution.
The company is also reportedly in discussions with Daniel Gross, Friedman's longtime collaborator and co-founder of the investment firm NFDG, about a potential role focused on AI within Meta. These discussions come amid Meta's intensified efforts to attract top-tier talent and secure strategic partnerships in the race for AI supremacy among Big Tech firms.
Nat Friedman is no stranger to Meta. He already serves as a member of Meta’s Advisory Group, a council of external experts assembled by the company to advise on emerging technologies, product development, and long-term innovation. His elevation from advisor to an internal leadership position—if finalised—would mark a significant move that underscores Meta’s confidence in his vision and technical acumen.
Daniel Gross, likewise, is a prominent figure in the tech and AI investment landscape, having co-founded NFDG alongside Friedman. The fund has backed several early-stage AI companies and is well-regarded in Silicon Valley circles for its forward-looking technology bets.
Adding to the intrigue, The Information also reported that Meta is exploring a partial acquisition of NFDG, although details remain scarce. Such a move could potentially give Meta access not just to the fund’s portfolio companies but also to the team’s deep expertise in AI and machine learning.
This latest development aligns with Meta’s accelerating AI strategy, which has seen the company deploy capital aggressively and build specialised teams to keep pace with rivals like Google, Microsoft, and OpenAI.
Just last week, Meta announced a $14.8 billion investment in Scale AI, marking the company’s second-largest investment to date. As part of that deal, Scale AI CEO Alexandr Wang has joined Meta to head a newly created superintelligence unit—a bold signal of the company’s long-term ambitions in the AI space.
With the potential addition of Friedman and Gross, Meta appears to be consolidating an elite circle of AI thinkers, builders, and strategists, aiming to create a cohesive and powerful force within the company to develop next-generation technologies.
Meta Remains Tight-Lipped
As of now, Meta has not officially commented on the reported discussions. According to Reuters, the company did not respond to a request for comment.
Nevertheless, the moves reported by The Information strongly suggest that Meta is continuing to evolve from a social media conglomerate into a deep-tech powerhouse, with artificial intelligence as its cornerstone. As generative AI, agentic systems, and advanced infrastructure become central to the next phase of innovation, Meta’s bets on top talent and strategic alignment are likely to shape its competitiveness for years to come.