12 hours ago
3
Jobseekers around the world are using artificial intelligence (AI) to write their CVs. All they have to do is copy and paste the job description and ChatGPT will spit out a standard, if dull, resume that includes all the jargon a firm is looking for.
Other candidates are using AI tools to scan the internet for the right jobs. Some companies are using similar technology to screen applications, schedule meetings, do rudimentary interviews and rank candidates.
Yet, it is unlikely that the top-tier AI talent now moving from startups to more established tech giants like Meta, Apple, Microsoft, Amazon or Google had to jump through any of these hoops.
Who is programming what?
There is a growing demand for experienced AI engineers and a shortage of qualified people in the field. This skills gap means that those with the right training are sought after and can name their price.
This very small pool of AI experts is being actively pursued with huge signing bonuses and pay packages. In return these engineers are expected to create the next-generation models of artificial intelligence. The stakes are high, and a lot of money is being splashed around.
Many AI startups are struggling to retain employees in this ultra-competitive environment. Even OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, raised pay to try and keep its engineers.
Can Europe keep up with the US, China in the high-tech race?
At the same time, companies like Microsoft, Meta and Intel are laying off thousands of employees. The need for programmers and software developers has been especially hard hit since generative AI is increasingly able to write more code.
As AI takes over more of these coding tasks, the most important programming jobs will be in designing the systems that do the programming, not programming itself.
Meta is spending lavishly on AI
It is not just Big Tech going after top AI talent. Industries as diverse as finance, logistics, pharmaceuticals, retailing and the automotive sector are all building up their AI portfolios.
Still, it is Meta and their newly created Meta Superintelligence Labs that has been getting most of the headlines as they reportedly offer up to $100 million (€85.4 million) in individual pay packages to lure AI developers.
Meta Superintelligence Labs is tasked with developing 'superintelligence,' which is AI with capabilities to outthink humansImage: Jürgen Lösel/dpa/picture alliance Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has been very hands-on in his company's hiring binge. Last week, Reuters news agency came out with lists of people Meta had recently recruited. Besides a handful of high-level employees from OpenAI and Apple, the lists also included Scale AI CEO Alexandr Wang.
This comes after Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, invested $14.3 billion for a 49% stake in Scale AI. As part of that deal, 28-year-old Wang will run the new Meta superintelligence division as chief AI officer.
A Silicon Valley cultural shift?
Among Big Tech, Meta is not alone in its AI buildup. Microsoft has invested over $13 billion in OpenAI and Amazon has invested $8 billion in Anthropic. Last year, Microsoft also paid $650 million to take over most of startup Inflection AI's team.
This July, Google paid $2.4 billion to recruit the leaders of Windsurf, another AI startup. They, along with a small team of key people, are set to join Google DeepMind, the company's AI division.
Some in the startup industry fear a broader cultural change. Instead of buying startups outright, bigger companies are now cherry-picking the parts — or people — they want and leaving behind the rest. This goes against the character of startup culture.
Startups tend to prioritize collaboration and creativity to work on common goals. Many people join tech startups because of the potential financial rewards as it grows or is taken over by a bigger company. Now with only key individuals being poached these assumptions may no longer be true.
Employers looking for AI literacy skills
Overall, global hiring for AI talent has grown more than 300% over the last eight years, according to a report published by professional network LinkedIn in January 2025.
"Artificial Intelligence Engineer is one of the fastest-growing jobs in 15 countries and ranked #1 in the Netherlands, Singapore, UK and US," wrote Karin Kimbrough, LinkedIn's chief economist, to accompany the report's publication.
LinkedIn, which is owned by Microsoft and claims 1 billion members in 200 countries worldwide, calculates that over 10,000 people apply for a job every minute through its platform.
The company says AI literacy is one of the most in-demand skills across all jobs on the platform. The number of companies in the US with a "Head of AI" position has tripled in the past five years.
Where will it all lead?
As AI creates usable, real-world applications, its wider potential is still uncertain. Two and a half years after ChatGPT captured the public's attention and set off speculation about its possibilities, no one really knows where the AI road is heading.
But no matter which way it is going, Big Tech is afraid of being left behind and is willing to throw money at the problem.
At the same time, such high — and public — salaries bring their own problems. These huge pay packages have already caused salary inflation for the best AI engineers, something that competitors will have to match. Focus on stratospheric individual compensation could also impact team spirit.
In the end, no matter how good newly developed AI products are, the billion-dollar investments could be wasted if they aren't adapted. A lot will depend on how businesses implement AI, and, so far, they have been slow on the uptake.
Edited by: Uwe Hessler
