Indian Man's AI Startup Opens Doors To 600 Laid-Off Meta Employees With High Salaries

In the wake of Meta Platforms' recent layoffs of about 600 employees from its AI division, San Francisco-based startup Smallest AI has extended an open hiring invitation to the affected workers. Founder Sudarshan Kamath, an Indian-origin entrepreneur, shared on social media that former Meta staff can apply for roles in the startup's speech AI team, offering base salaries from $200,000 to $600,000 plus equity.

Candidates need proven expertise in speech evaluation, speech generation, and full-duplex speech-to-speech systems. Kamath emphasised that hires must be "fkin smart and hungry," highlighting the competitive nature of these positions.

Laid off from Meta?

We are hiring in speech team for Smallest AI in San Francisco!

Comp - 200-600K $ base
Equity - Flexible

Looking for - experience with speech evals, speech generation, full duplex speech to speech

Must be - fkin smart and hungry.

DM me.

— Sudarshan Kamath (@kamath_sutra) October 23, 2025

The offer comes amid Meta's push for leaner operations, with cuts targeting its Fundamental AI Research (FAIR) unit, AI product teams, and infrastructure groups. The elite TBD Lab - bolstered by CEO Mark Zuckerberg's aggressive hiring from rivals like OpenAI and Apple - remains untouched. Some laid-off employees may be reassigned internally, with severance including at least 16 weeks of pay through November 21.

This strategic move highlights the intensifying AI talent wars, where startups like Smallest AI are snapping up expertise from Big Tech amid efficiency drives.