The AI talent war: tech giants court researchers years ahead of graduation
Doctoral researcher Hu Qi still has about two years left in his programme at the University of Hong Kong, but headhunters are already reaching out to pitch specific jobs and ask when he will graduate. Hu, who specialises in artificial intelligence agent security, is currently interning at a Chinese tech giant where his team leaders regularly ask about his post-graduation plans, urging him to sign…
In the fierce competition of the rapidly evolving AI sector, prominent tech companies are reaching out to doctoral researchers even before they graduate. Doctoral researcher Hu Qi, specializing in artificial intelligence agent security, is currently interning at a Chinese tech giant and faces frequent inquiries about his post-graduation plans.
Industry insiders believe that companies should secure top talent before graduation, otherwise they risk losing them. Vahid Haghzare, managing director of Silicon Valley Associates Recruitment, stated that companies wait too long to assess the best graduates, and therefore lose them. Tech firms are now targeting younger cohorts, even reaching out to high school students.
Companies like ByteDance, Alibaba Group Holding, and Tencent Holdings host annual talent programs to attract fresh graduates, with this year's drives already targeting the class of 2027. Compensation for AI professionals in China has surged, with tech sector firms reporting the highest salary budget increase in the country at 4.6 percent, compared to an industry median of 4.3 percent.
Average base salaries for AI professionals in China hover near 60,000 yuan (US$8,886) per month, about 16 times the country's average monthly disposable income. Smaller start-ups face significant challenges in recruiting, often requiring up to two years of persistent outreach before securing top talent. Despite the high salaries, industry insiders emphasize that money alone is not enough to attract the best engineers and researchers.
Leading AI professionals are motivated by opportunities to work on complex problems, access to high-quality data, influence business decisions, and deploy solutions at scale. Big Tech firms and start-ups offer different advantages that appeal to different generations. While older professionals may prefer the stability of big companies, younger graduates are drawn to innovative start-ups.
For Hu Qi, a doctoral candidate at HKU, starting his career at a major tech company offers a chance to learn established processes, but he remains open to transitioning to a start-up or mid-sized firm after gaining a few years of industry experience.
Written by urgent.news from South China Morning Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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