China is facing an unprecedented surge in its demand for artificial intelligence (AI) talent to lead its way into the world of conversational bots and AI-generated content. Despite the country’s huge academic potential, the number of AI researchers with a doctorate in China is only 0.1 per cent, far below their American counterparts.
Chinese companies and start-ups are fighting for the best talent in the field of generative AI, as demand for AI-related jobs has increased threefold in the past five years. According to Liepin, a Chinese recruitment platform, companies are offering attractive packages to find the perfect applicant. For instance, a position related to natural language processing can fetch up to 800,000 yuan (US$ 116,000) a month.
The United States showed the world the power of AI-driven communication and software with OpenAI’s ChatGPT, an intelligent chatbot, prompting China to act fast and step up its efforts in this area. Through its “AI 2000” list, Tsinghua University revealed that China had 232 top research experts working in AI, only a fifth of the US’s 1,146 experts.
China has only been offering AI-related courses in its tertiary institutions since 2018. Currently, there are 440 universities authorised to offer this type of education. However, due to the urgent demand for these skills, a survey conducted by the Chinese Academy of Labour and Social Security found that China is still lacking 300,000 skilled workers in the AI field.
Beijing is the current epicenter of AI in China, with more than 60 per cent of the country’s AI experts based there. As per Liepin’s figures, the internet, video gaming, and software sectors are the ones currently in need of more personnel.
Stanford University’s Artificial Intelligence Index Report revealed that, although China is the world leader in AI research publications, it lags far behind the US in terms of large language and multimodal models.
The CALSS has encouraged collaborations between universities, industry and even other countries to bridge this gap. However, with US-China trade tensions, international collaborations in AI research have decreased significantly in the past few years.
Max Xiao Mafeng, co-founder and CEO of TTC Consultancy recruitment agency, explained how their voices have been extremely sought after from tech companies. To satisfy the needs of the market, they had to set up a new division at the beginning of the year devoted to AI talent.
By combining the high demand for qualified personnel, the unlimited potential for AI in China, the current successes in its AI research initiatives, and the right incentives, the country might soon be the place companies look to when they are providing the best AI services.
