The race to dominate artificial intelligence in Silicon Valley has shifted focus to a new battleground: elite researchers. Since the launch of ChatGPT in late 2022, recruitment efforts have intensified, reaching levels akin to professional sports, sources told Reuters. AI labs now treat hiring like a strategic chess game, offering huge compensation to secure top talent with specific skills, said Ariel Herbert-Voss, a former OpenAI researcher.
Companies like OpenAI, Google DeepMind, and Elon Musk’s xAI are aggressively pursuing these individual contributors (ICs), whose expertise can determine the success of AI models. Offers include bonuses in the millions, equity packages worth tens of millions, and perks such as jet visits and meetings with tech icons. OpenAI, for example, offered some researchers $2 million retention bonuses and $20 million in additional equity to prevent defections.
Google DeepMind reportedly offers compensation up to $20 million per year. The reason for this scramble is the scarcity of elite talent—estimates suggest there are only a few dozen to about a thousand individuals whose work has significantly advanced AI.
Startups like Mira Murati’s have also intensified the competition, recruiting heavily from OpenAI. Meanwhile, firms like Zeki Data are applying sports analytics techniques to scout hidden talent, as AI increasingly attracts experts from physics, math, and quantum computing.