Kuaishou Loses Another Tech Leader as Zhou Gurui Prepares Exit

December 30, 2025 - Multiple sources confirm Zhou Gurui, Vice President at Kuaishou Technology and architect behind its AI-powered recommendation systems, is preparing to depart the Chinese short-video platform. The timing coincides with his current leave status and a telling email signature change to "Log Out" - corporate speak suggesting imminent resignation.

Industry watchers speculate two potential landing spots for the AI specialist: Meta (Facebook's parent company) or TikTok (Douyin's international counterpart). Neither company has commented on these rumors.

From Alibaba to Kuaishou: A Rising Tech Star

Zhou's technical pedigree shines through his career trajectory. After earning a master's degree from Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications' prestigious Pattern Recognition Laboratory, he cut his teeth at Alibaba as a senior algorithm expert in their targeted advertising division.

His 2021 move to Kuaishou proved transformative for both parties. Rapidly promoted to VP overseeing recommendation algorithms and foundational models, Zhou spearheaded development of "OneRec" - an innovative end-to-end architecture that streamlined content suggestions while reducing system costs. Colleagues describe this achievement as achieving "bigger brainpower with smaller energy bills" for Kuaishou's recommendation engine.

Talent Drain Concerns Surface

The potential departure continues a worrying trend for Kuaishou's tech leadership:

• Earlier this year saw VP Zhang Di briefly defect to Bilibili before returning to Alibaba
• Wang Ben, who led international e-commerce algorithms, exited months ago
• Several other VP-level algorithm experts have left recently

Each exit chips away at institutional knowledge built during Kuaishou's meteoric rise. "When your star engineers start heading for the exits," observes Beijing-based tech analyst Li Wei, "investors rightly ask what they know that we don't."

What Comes Next?

The industry awaits Zhou's next move with particular interest:

• Meta could leverage his expertise in recommendation systems amid its AI push
• TikTok might value his understanding of Chinese-style short video algorithms for global expansion

The timing proves especially delicate as Chinese tech firms navigate increasing global competition in artificial intelligence applications.

Key Points:

• Zhou Gurui led development of Kuaishou's breakthrough "OneRec" recommendation system
• His departure follows several high-profile exits from Kuaishou's tech team
• Next destination likely either Meta or TikTok
• Move highlights ongoing talent competition between Chinese and Western tech giants