Italian watchdog group Galante hired four artificial intelligence (AI) experts to strengthen its team last year, shortly after it took on ChatGPT while temporarily shutting down locally.
But Italy’s data protection agency was unable to hire the talent it wanted, with more than a dozen candidates declining over pay and other issues, highlighting the growing challenges faced by regulators around the world.
“The search process was worse than our low expectations,” Galante board member Guido Scorza told Reuters. “We will come up with something else, but so far we are losing.” he added.
To avoid falling for AI-generated deepfakes, keep these tips in mind.
Since OpenAI announced ChatGPT in late 2022, demand for AI experience and expertise has skyrocketed, and regulators have found themselves vying for talent from the same shallow pool.
But relatively low wages, lengthy recruitment processes and visa issues are hampering their willingness to hire, industry sources familiar with the situation told Reuters.
Other public authorities in the European Union may soon face similar challenges, as the European Union introduces the world’s most far-reaching and influential AI regulations.
Artificial intelligence-related slogans are displayed on a screen in the Intel Pavilion during the 54th World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland, January 16, 2024. AI experts are in high demand, but governments are struggling to find and retain candidates. (Reuters/Dennis Baribous/File photo)
The EU is recruiting for a newly opened AI office to oversee the enforcement of AI law, and for the European Center for Algorithmic Transparency (ECAT), which will cover both AI law and digital services law.
Dragos Tudrace, an EU lawmaker who oversaw the drafting of the AI law, said: “The biggest problem will be enforcement and the availability of human resources to do it.”
Meanwhile, the UK continues to recruit for its own AI Safety Institute, which was launched in the wake of a summit gathering world leaders in October.
Many of the public sector roles advertised in these organizations offer salaries that are a fraction of the industry standard and appear to be aimed at recent graduates, hindering recruitment of top talent. Some warn that it is possible.
Rapid increase in human resources
Governments around the world have acknowledged the need for AI expertise to monitor rapidly evolving technologies.
The US has shown a willingness to pay more and be more flexible about the hiring process.
Under President Joe Biden, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) will authorize agencies to rapidly hire AI expertise and replace normal hiring processes as part of an ongoing “talent surge” within the government. speeded up.
In February, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) launched its first effort to create a new “AI Corps” with the goal of hiring 50 AI experts.
DHS job advertisements offer private-sector salaries of $143,000 a year for IT specialists focused on AI.
In contrast, EU institutions such as the AI Office and ECAT are offering around $65,166.
An EU spokesperson told Reuters that ECAT currently employs 35 experts and plans to hire another 100 in its AI office.
“Working with Office offers a unique and thrilling opportunity for passionate professionals to make a significant contribution to shaping trusted AI in Europe and beyond,” they said.
In the UK, the AI Safety Institute is offering stronger incentives for the most senior positions. Recently opened positions (such as Chief Information Security Officer and Director of Engineering) are offering up to $170,829.
However, other roles were far fewer. Those overseeing the social impact of AI offered up to £47,000.
Another UK government role, the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), offered up to £76,000 in compensation for the position of head of AI regulatory strategy and implementation.
Ian Hogarth, president of the AI Safety Association, told Reuters the organization had successfully recruited experts from companies such as Google DeepMind and OpenAI.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
“While we benchmark our salaries against those offered in the industry, the technical professionals who join us from the top of their fields are looking for more than just a high salary.” he said. “They are participating to contribute to the important mission of ensuring the safety of these models.”
Last month, a report by the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, which advises governments on policy issues, called for the UK government to relax normal recruitment rules, lower pay limits and issue new work visas for technology talent. asked to do so.
Benedict Macon-Cooney, the institute’s chief policy strategist, said: “We need the skills and skills needed to ensure governments have the talent pool they need to not only ask the right questions, but also find solutions.” “It will require a fundamental shift in thinking in culture.”
