Nikolai Yakovenko from NVIDIA:
But when I look for a designer, a Java developer, a real estate agent, etc — some are way better than others and deserve to get paid more than an AI researcher — but you’re fundamentally talking about pulling from a large well-balanced pool. It’s mostly an information game, and a matter of getting a little better than you need, but not much more than you can afford or should be paying. In AI, it’s different. There just aren’t enough people to go around. And there aren’t enough people for every good project that can be attempted. Either academic, or something that if it works, can save the company $1M.
The booming of a new disruptive technology always did this to the industry as well as the talent pool. It drives money into investing on the next big thing, and the money lures more talents into the field. There will be a shortage in the very beginning, and there will always be a surplus at the end of the curve. I’m afraid AI won’t be any different. It’s just that the curve will take 10 maybe more years to unfold so it’s not too late to get in the game if you think you have the stuff, since at the end of day, people with talent and grit will win, in every new technology ‘gold rush’.