Tech Giant Google has called on the US government to make changes to its immigration policy to address shortage of talent in certain critical sectors. It wrote a letter to the US Department of Labor (DOL), specifically asking them to make changes to its Schedule A list. The list which aims to address shortage of labour has been outdated, with changes last being made in 2005. Google asked the department to broaden the list to include Artificial Intelligence (AI) and cybersecurity related jobs, so that crucial talent from abroad can help advance AI to its maximum potential.
However, this raises a pertinent subject which is while people had been afraid of AI taking their jobs, people who specialise in the matter are some of the most sought-after professionals on the market. Hence, if you are looking for a lucrative career opportunity, then researching AI is turning out to be a viable option. Here is why that is:
Google's letter specifically targeted the Schedule A list, which identifies occupations with insufficient American workers. It also said that the list, aimed at addressing the labour shortage, should be updated more frequently to help address the changing labor needs. As it has not been updated for over 20 years, Google says that it does not address current shortage.
Not only this, Google addressed its own requirement for AI talent within the company. The tech giant also said it anticipates that the need for AI Engineer roles, including Software Engineer, Research Engineer, and Research Scientist roles, will increase significantly in the coming years. Along with this, the severe shortage for AI-based talent has resulted in a fierce competition among the top tech companies in hiring. Even the wages for AI specialists have skyrocketed, with some companies offering upwards of $10 million to researchers.
Among this, it is important to note that Google’s shortage of AI talent is also the result of its competitors poaching some of its major talent. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has reportedly been sending personal emails to AI researchers at Google's DeepMind and offering jobs without interviews. Not only this, Google is reported to have lost over a dozen of its AI staff to Apple.