--- title: It’s a pretty great time to get a PhD in AI - The Hustle description: Companies are promising riches to lure top young minds in AI out of academia. image: https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/1800076214-19-News-Brief_2023-04-16T234042.716Z.webp --- # It’s a pretty great time to get a PhD in AI ![Ben Berkley](https://53.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/53/assets/hubspot.com/web-team/WBZ/HubSpot%20Media/Blog%202021/Images/Nav/Optimized/TheHustle_Icon_Dark.svg) [Ben Berkley](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/author/ben-berkley) Published: April 17, 2023 Updated: October 11, 2023 (Liberal arts grad students, maybe avert your eyes? This one’s gonna hurt a little.) ![It’s a pretty great time to get a PhD in AI](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hs-fs/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/1800076214-19-News-Brief_2023-04-16T234042.716Z.webp?width=595&height=400&name=1800076214-19-News-Brief_2023-04-16T234042.716Z.webp) Every business under the sun, from [Istanbul](https://apply.workable.com/huawei-telekomunikasyon-dis-ticaret-ltd/j/1793AD064B/?utm_campaign=google_jobs_apply&utm_source=google_jobs_apply&utm_medium=organic) to [Sticker Mule](https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/3531729708/?alternateChannel=search&refId=7zfMBWrxD7ztfuoq1ZM33g%3D%3D&trackingId=gBJWzalOOCwoObU%2B2sQRSg%3D%3D), is trying to get in on AI. That’s good news for one group: the small number of AI experts holding advanced degrees in the field. And when we say “good,” we mean *really* good. Like, $500k+-salaries-level good. #### **The talent wars are on** Top companies are making their presence felt at top universities. [Per](https://www.businessinsider.com/tech-companies-raid-top-university-campuses-rare-artificial-intelligence-talent-2023-4) *Insider*, the corporate world is “ransacking” academia. Headhunters are recruiting students so early — even undergrads are in demand right now — that enrollment is dipping for postgrad programs. - How many college kids you know would stay in school when their classmates are seeing *part-time* offers exceeding $350k? - That temptation can only be held in check for so long; computer science programs in North America annually produce ~15k master’s grads but just 1.9k PhD grads, according to Stanford’s [AI Index](https://aiindex.stanford.edu/report/). Just 10 years ago, that elite class of AI PhD grads were evenly split between continuing in academia or working in the private sector. Today, with corporate enticements so grand, [surveys](https://cra.org/resources/taulbee-survey/) show universities holding onto only ~25% of them. #### **This is just the beginning** If they weren’t already, every C-suite on the planet is having conversations about AI. Many will increase investments in the space. - Machine-learning talent collective Tribe AI told *Insider* demand for AI-related placements doubled from December to March. **More good news? **While PhD programs are expensive, student debt only hurts so much when you can pay it off in two paychecks. Topics: [Ai](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/tag/ai) [Education](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/tag/education) [Technology](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/tag/technology) ## Follow us on social media prev next - ![The world was already horrifying — technology is making it more so](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/457134246-httpsthdaily.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.comfinal_size-tech_20231010211706.webp) ### The world was already horrifying — technology is making it more so - ![‘AI is not a writer:’ Why the writers’ strike deal matters beyond Hollywood](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/2028008005-httpsthdaily.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.comfinal_size-AI-WGA_20230927223315.webp) ### ‘AI is not a writer:’ Why the writers’ strike deal matters beyond Hollywood - ![Getty Images’ AI play](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/1235356694-httpsthdaily.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.comfinal_size-woman-taking-photo_20230925214039.webp) ### Getty Images’ AI play - ![Student loan repayments are back and more confusing than ever](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/1645811006-httpsthdaily.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.comfinal_size-StudentLoans_20230831230545.webp) ### Student loan repayments are back and more confusing than ever - ![AI-generated foraging books seem dangerous, right?](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/1714231094-httpsthdaily.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.comfinal_size-mushrooms_20230830223519.webp) ### AI-generated foraging books seem dangerous, right? - ![When AI starts teaching AI, models may ‘collapse’](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/2069924254-httpsthdaily.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.comfinal_size-bottripping_20230829215041.webp) ### When AI starts teaching AI, models may ‘collapse’ - ![Looking for an edge in attracting talent? Give ’em a reasonable place to live](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/1955417428-httpsthdaily.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.comfinal_size-housing_20230816223900.webp) ### Looking for an edge in attracting talent? Give ’em a reasonable place to live - ![CAPTCHAs get weirder as AI gets smarter](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/440738447-httpsthdaily.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.comfinal_size-captcha_20230808232842.webp) ### CAPTCHAs get weirder as AI gets smarter - ![Using AI for the perfect fit](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/211713850-httpsthdaily.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.comfinal_size-truetoform_20230807230535.webp) ### Using AI for the perfect fit - ![Big Tech’s thirst for AI dominance may bring literal thirst for everyone else](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/1680278072-httpsthdaily.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.comfinal_size-Water-Usage_20230803223203.webp) ### Big Tech’s thirst for AI dominance may bring literal thirst for everyone else Pop up for Subscribe to The Hustle Daily Newsletter Subscribe to The Hustle Daily Newsletter Get the 5-minute news brief keeping 2.5M+ innovators in the loop. 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