ChatGPT catches regulators We were surprised when it sparked a new AI race. As companies scramble to develop and release more powerful models, lawmakers and regulators around the world are looking to catch up and rein in developments.
Regulators around the world are rushing to hire AI experts as governments launch new AI projects. But some job ads have drawn dissatisfaction from AI researchers and engineers, and even ridicule the salaries they offer, which look pitiful amid the current AI boom.
The European Office for Artificial Intelligence, which will be central to the implementation of the EU Artificial Intelligence Act, listed vacancies earlier this month and hopes applicants will start work in the autumn. These include vacancies for artificial intelligence technical experts with a master’s degree in computer science or engineering and at least one year of experience, with recommended annual salaries starting at €47,320 ($51,730) for their qualification level.
In La Manche, the UK government’s Department for Science, Innovation and Technology is also looking for artificial intelligence experts. One vacancy is for head of international AI safety reporting, who will help guide the landmark global report that emerged from last year’s UK Global AI Safety Summit. “Expertise in cutting-edge AI security and/or demonstrable experience in rapidly upskilling in complex new policy areas” is essential, the ad said. The salary on offer is £64,660 ($82,730) per year.
Although companies listed in the EU are tax-free, salaries are far below the staggering levels in the industry. Levels.fyi, which compiles verified tech industry compensation data, reports that OpenAI employees earn a median total compensation of $560,000, which includes stock awards, which is common in the tech industry. As verified by the makers of ChatGPT, the minimum salary for recruiters is $190,000.
OpenAI’s Amazon-backed rival Anthropic, creator of the Claude chatbot, has a median salary of $212,500, still well above what regulators are currently offering. According to Levels.fyi, the minimum salary for the 25th percentile position in machine learning and artificial intelligence is $172,500. Stock awards included in tech industry compensation packages could turn into huge windfalls if the company’s value increases.OpenAI is now valued at $80 billion following a stock tender in February 2024 this New York Times.
“There’s a brain drain in every government around the world,” said Nolan Church, co-founder and CEO of FairComp, a company that tracks salary data to help workers negotiate better pay. “Part of the reason is that private companies not only have better working conditions, but they also offer higher wages.”
Church worries that competition among private companies will also further widen the gap between the private and public sectors. “I personally believe government should attract the best and brightest,” he said, “but how do you convince the best and brightest to take a significant pay cut?”
outside the stadium
That government jobs pay significantly less than in industry is nothing new, but in the current AI boom, the disconnect may be even more acute and urgent. Tech companies and businesses in other industries eager to embrace the technology are fiercely competing for AI-savvy talent. The rapid development of artificial intelligence means regulators need to act quickly.
Anthropic co-founder Jack Clark posted on X, comparing salaries at the EU Artificial Intelligence Office to internship opportunities in the tech industry. “I applaud governments for working within their own constraints, but if you want some ambitious regulation of the AI industry, you need to pay decent wages,” he wrote. “You don’t need to compete with the industry, But you absolutely need to be on top.”