A.I. researchers are approaching the job market with a similar confidence to top N.B.A. players, seeking hefty pay packages that rival $250 million. They’re playing hardball with the highest bidders and taking advice from their entourages.
The trend is being driven by the growing demand for A.I. expertise in various industries, including tech and finance. As a result, top A.I. researchers are commanding high salaries, similar to those of N.B.A. stars like Steph Curry and LeBron James.
The news comes after an earlier version of this article incorrectly featured an image with the name of a Microsoft employee who used to work at Google’s DeepMind lab. We apologize for the mistake and have since corrected it.
The A.I. field is rapidly expanding, and top researchers are in high demand. As technology continues to evolve, the salaries of these experts will likely continue to rise.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/31/technology/ai-researchers-nba-stars.html