Chinese Giants Pay Big To Attract AI Specialists

In the midst of the global race for AI dominance, Chinese tech companies are offering record-breaking salaries to attract top talent. According to sources, ByteDance (owner of TikTok) and Tencent have significantly increased their budgets for salaries and bonuses to secure leading AI experts, Azernews reports.

ByteDance has reportedly boosted its employee bonus fund by 35% compared to last year and is planning a future salary increase of up to 150%. Tencent, meanwhile, has been actively recruiting high-caliber specialists from competitors, sometimes offering salaries twice as high as their current pay.

Recently, Tencent announced the hiring of Yao Shunyu, a former OpenAI researcher, as its new chief AI scientist-a move that underscores the company's commitment to building cutting-edge AI capabilities.

However, industry observers note that this“golden age” for AI professionals sharply contrasts with the broader tech sector, which has seen significant layoffs. In the first half of 2025 alone, more than 100,000 technology workers lost their jobs worldwide, highlighting the growing divide between highly specialized AI talent and the general workforce.

Analysts suggest that this trend may intensify global competition in AI, as Chinese companies strive to secure talent that could give them a decisive edge in areas ranging from natural language processing to autonomous systems.

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