Have you ever wondered where all the smart AI experts are going after they get their PhDs? Many are saying goodbye to university life and hello to big paychecks in the tech industry. 

A recent report from Stanford has all the surprising details, showing that jobs in AI companies are becoming super popular for these fresh Ph.D. grads. 

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• Stanford’s 2021 Artificial Intelligence Index Report reveals a growing preference among AI Ph.D. graduates in North America for high-paying industry roles over academic positions. 
• New PhD grads in AI can make up to $900,000 working in tech companies. That’s a huge reason they’re picking these jobs over university teaching. 
• With all the smart AI folks heading to big tech, colleges are losing many of their best brains.

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Surging Salaries in AI Draw Ph.D. Graduates Away from Academia

Imagine starting your first job with a higher salary than most people dream of! We’re talking about paychecks reaching up to $900,000 a year. With money like that on the table, it’s no shock that universities are struggling to keep their AI pros.

• Stanford’s 2021 Artificial Intelligence Index Report indicates a growing number of AI PhD graduates in North America are opting for careers in the AI industry over academic roles.
• The trend shows a nearly 4% increase from 2010 to 2019 in AI PhDs taking industry positions.
• Attractive salaries, with figures between $700,000 and $900,000 for new researchers, are a significant factor in this movement.

The academic landscape for new AI Ph.D. graduates is experiencing a shift as more are enticed by the lucrative opportunities in the private sector, according to Stanford’s 2021 Artificial Intelligence Index Report.

Conversely, the proportion of new AI PhDs entering academia has fallen sharply, from 42.1% to 23.7% over the same period.

This shift can be attributed mainly to the high salaries offered in the AI industry. New PhD researchers are being presented with wages that range from $700,000 to $900,000, as reported by the salary negotiation service Rora.

While the financial benefits appeal to graduates, the migration from academia to the industry is causing alarm within educational institutions. 

A 2019 survey revealed that about 100 AI faculty members in North America transitioned from universities to industry roles between 2018 and 2019. These statistics indicate a notable brain drain in this specialized field. 

High-profile universities like Carnegie Mellon, Georgia Institute of Technology, and the University of Washington have all seen significant faculty departures.

Universities and tech companies are battling to see who can keep the smartest AI experts. The tech world is tempting these whiz kids with vast amounts of money, and schools are struggling to keep their star players.

In short, the big bucks and excellent jobs in the AI world are pulling a lot of fresh AI PhDs away from teaching at universities.

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