Newly revealed Meta salary data shows VPs of AI earning $650,000 in base salary alone - not including stock compensation that often doubles or triples total compensation. The disclosure comes as the company announces another 200 layoffs, with cuts targeting departments outside the AI division.The AI talent war's economics laid bare: half-million dollar base salaries at the top while hundreds lose their jobs to fund the AI pivot. This is the uncomfortable reality of the 'AI revolution' - it's making some people very wealthy while displacing many others.These aren't total compensation packages - that $650,000 is just base salary. Add in Meta's generous stock grants, performance bonuses, and other perks, and top AI executives are likely clearing $2-3 million annually. The market for senior AI talent has become so competitive that companies are paying whatever it takes to attract and retain the people who can build cutting-edge models.Meanwhile, 200 employees who aren't working on AI are being shown the door. The stated reason is 'restructuring to focus on AI investments,' which is corporate speak for 'we're betting everything on AI and cutting anything that doesn't directly serve that goal.'I saw this in fintech: companies making huge bets on emerging technology while treating most of their workforce as expendable. The question that matters is whether the productivity gains from AI will justify the human cost, or whether we're witnessing another tech bubble where executive compensation soars while worker security craters.From a business perspective, Meta's strategy makes sense. AI talent is scarce, and falling behind in AI could be existential for the company. But there's something uncomfortable about the disparity - record salaries for AI executives funded partly by cutting jobs elsewhere.The technology is impressive. The question is whether the wealth it creates will be shared broadly or concentrated among the small group of people building it.