In the wake of recent Meta layoffs, where around 600 employees from its AI division were cut, an Indian AI startup named Smallest AI has stepped in with a bold offer — and salaries that rival Silicon Valley giants.
Sudarshan Kamath, the Indian-origin founder of Smallest AI, took to social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to announce that his San Francisco-based company is hiring for its speech AI team, offering base pay between $200,000 and $600,000, plus flexible equity options.
Kamath’s message to the newly laid-off Meta talent was simple but powerful:
“Laid off from Meta? We’re hiring in the speech team for Smallest AI in San Francisco! Comp – 200-600K base + equity. Must be fkin smart and hungry.”
This direct, no-nonsense hiring call has already caught the attention of hundreds of engineers, researchers, and AI specialists — many of whom were impacted by Meta’s recent restructuring.
A Lifeline After Meta’s AI Cuts
The Meta layoffs were part of a broader effort by the company to streamline operations and focus on core products. The cuts affected teams across FAIR (Fundamental AI Research), AI product divisions, and infrastructure groups.
However, Meta’s elite TBD Lab — led by CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s handpicked AI researchers and engineers from firms like OpenAI and Apple — was reportedly spared.
Despite severance packages that include at least 16 weeks of pay and potential internal reassignments, many skilled AI professionals are now seeking new opportunities. Kamath’s open invitation has given them a new home — and hope — in the fast-growing startup scene.
The Rise of Smallest AI
Founded in San Francisco, Smallest AI is building advanced speech-to-speech systems designed to make human-AI interaction faster and more natural. The company’s mission centers on creating the “smallest yet smartest” AI systems capable of real-time speech understanding and generation.
Kamath, who has experience leading voice AI initiatives, is particularly focused on hiring talent skilled in speech evaluation, speech generation, and full-duplex AI systems (which allow AI to talk and listen simultaneously).
His approach combines agility, innovation, and top-tier compensation, drawing attention from both AI researchers and investors.
The Growing AI Talent Wars
This move by Smallest AI underscores a bigger trend: the AI talent wars heating up across the tech industry. Startups and emerging labs are aggressively recruiting top talent leaving Big Tech, leveraging their nimble cultures and mission-driven focus to compete against established players.
Meta’s layoffs may have been designed to cut costs, but they’ve also unleashed a pool of world-class engineers now being snapped up by smaller, fast-moving startups like Smallest AI.
Industry analysts say this wave of reallocation could lead to a surge in AI innovation outside traditional tech giants. Startups can move faster and test ideas that large corporations can’t easily pursue due to bureaucracy or risk aversion.
What’s Next for Smallest AI?
While Kamath hasn’t disclosed how many new roles will be filled immediately, the company’s hiring message suggests aggressive scaling. Early insiders say Smallest AI is positioning itself to become a key player in conversational AI, competing in areas similar to OpenAI’s Whisper and Voice Engine technologies.
If successful, the startup could redefine how speech-driven AI interfaces are built — and prove that small, sharp teams can compete head-to-head with tech behemoths.
As Kamath put it, the goal isn’t just to build another AI startup, but to “build smarter AI with smaller teams.”
Key Takeaway
The Indian AI startup scene continues to make global headlines, and Smallest AI’s recruitment drive after Meta’s layoffs shows that innovation and opportunity often rise from disruption.
As Big Tech tightens budgets, startups like Smallest AI are becoming the new dream destinations for top-tier AI talent — offering not just high pay, but the promise of impact.