Summary of Key Points
This news article highlights new trends in the AI industry as it enters a more challenging phase, based on two trending topics from DeepSeek: an intern from Tsinghua University's Yao Class with a daily salary of 5,500 yuan and the transcript of an investor meeting with the company's founder, Liang Wenfeng. Top talents—especially those with backgrounds from Tsinghua University's Yao Class or Microsoft Research Asia (MSRA)—have become a core asset in corporate competition, as companies compete to hire individuals who can solve unsolved problems. At the same time, the personal image and values of founders are increasingly being emphasized as factors that attract capital, talent, and traffic for businesses. However, the article warns that the industry must ultimately return to the technology itself rather than becoming overly obsessed with "talent legends" or the "halo around founders."
1. Why Is an Intern with a Daily Salary of 5,500 Yuan So Valuable?
It's not because of their ability to simply perform tasks, but because they can solve problems that no one has encountered before. This intern comes from Tsinghua University's Yao Class, which was established by Turing Award winner Yao Qizhi and is known for admitting students more rigorously than the regular Tsinghua admissions process (requiring participation in national competitions or being top performers at the provincial level, followed by a second round of selection). The goal of Yao Class is to cultivate individuals who can define new problems and develop new algorithms, rather than just write code. In today's AI landscape, basic tasks like coding and data organization can be automated by AI; what companies need are innovators who can break through bottlenecks—such as improving model efficiency or coming up with novel algorithms. These talents take a long time to train (often ten years) and are in high demand, so the high salary is not just for their daily work but for their accumulated knowledge and potential breakthroughs over the years.
2. Yao Class + MSRA: The Perfect Combination of Chinese AI Talent
Yao Class serves as a cradle for theoretical knowledge, while MSRA acts as a bridge between academia and industry. Together, they have contributed significantly to China's AI development:
- Yao Class: Offers courses in English at the level of graduate studies, focusing on mathematics and computer science in the first two years, followed by opportunities for exchanges with MIT and Stanford. Graduates are not only skilled in their fields but can also identify emerging technological trends. Some have shifted from pure theory to cutting-edge areas like deep learning.
- MSRA (Microsoft Research Asia): Established in 1998, it provides students with access to advanced computing resources and data for long-term research and offers internship programs that have helped shape the careers of many AI industry leaders, including those at SenseTime and Megvii. These two institutions have produced numerous researchers, engineers, and entrepreneurs for China's AI ecosystem.
3. The Shift in Talent Acquisition: From Overseas to Domestic
In the past, most Yao Class graduates went abroad due to a lack of computing resources and research opportunities in China. However, this situation has changed as companies like Tencent, ByteDance, and DeepSeek have invested heavily in building large-scale AI models, creating favorable conditions for domestic talent. As a result, more graduates are choosing to stay in China—44.6% of Yao Class alumni remain in the country as of 2024. Companies offer not only high salaries but also freedom to pursue their research interests, as these individuals can make critical contributions to solving industry challenges.
4. From "Talent Halos" to "Founder Halos": The Battle for Credibility
As more founders have backgrounds from prestigious institutions like Yao Class and MSRA, their personal images have become a focus of competition. While early AI companies lacked stable revenue, investors relied on team qualifications and research achievements. Now, founders' personalities and values are also considered important factors. For example, Liang Wenfeng's story of "ordinary people achieving extraordinary things" has helped him stand out. Capital and the media also play a role in shaping these narratives, with investors and journalists focusing on the "personal brand" of founders.
5. The Future of AI: Beyond Short-Term Trends
The current focus on high salaries and founder stories is temporary; the real challenge lies in developing practical technologies that can solve real-world problems. The industry is still in its early stages and will enter a period of commercial validation in the next two to three years, during which only a few large-scale AI companies may survive. Talent development and technology validation will take decades. Overemphasizing "legendary tales" could distract from the more important goal of applying AI to practical applications, such as improving healthcare and education. The industry needs to shift its focus back to the technology itself.
In summary, the competition in the AI field will ultimately revolve around the ability to solve problems and solid technical capabilities, rather than short-term trends or personal charisma. When consuming AI news, it's more meaningful to understand the underlying technical principles and practical applications rather than just focusing on the salaries and catchy headlines.