Chaya Nayak, one of Meta’s most seasoned artificial intelligence executives, has announced her departure after nearly a decade at the company to take on a new role at OpenAI. Her exit marks another high-profile move as competition for top AI talent escalates across the tech industry.
During her tenure at Meta, Nayak spearheaded several initiatives at the intersection of AI, data, and social impact. She helped launch the Data for Good program, developed privacy-preserving research tools through the Facebook Open Research and Transparency (FORT) team, and contributed to projects such as Disaster Maps, designed to assist communities during crises. Nayak also led research into the platform’s influence on democracy, particularly surrounding the 2020 U.S. elections.
In recent years, she shifted her focus to generative AI, playing a key role in building three generations of Llama and Meta AI models, driving rapid innovation in the field. Reflecting on her journey, Nayak highlighted the leadership lessons, resilience, and professional network she gained during her decade at the company.
At OpenAI, Nayak will collaborate with Irina Kofman on Special Initiatives, a role she describes as the ideal next chapter in shaping the future of technology and its societal impact.
Her move follows a wave of senior AI talent departures from Meta, including members of its Superintelligence Labs—Rishabh Agarwal, Avi Verma, and Ethan Knight—two of whom also joined OpenAI. The trend underscores the growing tug-of-war among leading AI labs for top researchers and executives.
For Meta, Nayak’s departure represents both a significant loss of expertise and a reminder of the challenges in retaining high-caliber AI leadership as the industry accelerates into its next phase.
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