Musk Directly Engages in Hiring Amid AI Talent Shortage

Global AI Talent Shortage

Tesla CEO Elon Musk "No Educational Background Required... High School Diploma Is Fine"

▲Elon Musk Tesla CEO [Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Jaehee] Tesla's CEO Elon Musk has personally stepped forward to publicly call for AI talent recruitment. As the supply of AI specialists falls short of demand, even the CEO has taken the lead in the hiring market.

On the 3rd (local time), Musk tweeted, "Apply to Tesla's AI team. The AI team reports directly to me via email and text messages, and we meet almost every day," adding, "Educational background is irrelevant."

On the 2nd, Musk also stated, "A PhD is not necessarily required," and "It doesn't matter if you only graduated from high school."

Musk's direct public call to AI talent is due to the fierce global competition to attract AI professionals. In 2016, Tesla recruited Jim Keller, a legend in the CPU field, from Apple. When the competition to hire experts in the related field intensified, with Jim Keller leaving Tesla in 2018 to join Intel, Tesla began strengthening its own AI team.

Musk has consistently expressed the belief that ability is more important than academic background. In a 2014 interview with the German automotive media outlet Auto Bild, Musk said, "If someone graduated from a great university, it might mean they can do great work, but that's not always the case," adding, "Bill Gates and Steve Jobs are proof of that."

CNBC reported that Tesla is strengthening its AI workforce to complete the next stage after electric vehicles: autonomous driving cars. The hardware installed in Tesla vehicles currently provides some autonomous driving (Autopilot) features. To introduce 'full autonomous driving' capabilities in the future, various software upgrades are necessary, making reinforcement of the AI team essential.

CNBC also mentioned that Tesla is recruiting talent while financially strong, reporting that Tesla's stock price rose 19.9% in a single day on the 3rd (local time). This is the largest increase since May 2013. Tesla's current market capitalization is estimated at $140 billion (approximately 166.7 trillion KRW).

However, Musk added, "Educational background is irrelevant, but all applicants must pass a rigorous coding test."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.