Ant Group has introduced a new program designed to recruit talent in AI, focusing on artificial general intelligence (AGI).

The initiative publicly presents the company’s team of AI researchers for the first time.

The “Plan A” recruitment program, announced on May 1, 2025, features 12 mentors with strong backgrounds in AI research and development.

Among them are Wu Yi, a former researcher at OpenAI, and Le Zhenzhong, previously a scientist at Google’s AI research institute. Both hold advanced degrees from notable institutions.

Other mentors include He Zhengyu, known for developing a high-speed Max-flow algorithm during his PhD at Georgia Institute of Technology, and Cai Wei, a Stanford graduate who worked on Google projects like Image Search and Cloud Vision API.

The group also features Shen Chunhua, a researcher with 87,000 Google Scholar citations, and Yang Ming, a founding member of Facebook AI Research.

🔗 Source: South China Morning Post

🧠 Food for thought

1️⃣ China’s AI talent race intensifies amid demographic headwinds

Ant Group’s high-profile recruitment drive reflects a broader scramble for AI talent in China, where demographic challenges make skilled workers increasingly valuable.

With China’s population declining for three consecutive years and projections suggesting only 36% will be of working age by 2100, companies must compete aggressively for a shrinking talent pool 1.

This demographic pressure exists alongside ambitious growth targets, as China’s AI market is projected to exceed $200 billion in annual revenue by 2030 and boost GDP by 0.2-0.3 percentage points annually 2.

For companies like Ant Group, attracting top AI researchers isn’t just about current projects but represents a strategic imperative to secure long-term innovation capacity in a market where turnover rates in some tech sectors exceed 20% 3.

2️⃣ AI recruitment evolves beyond compensation to emphasize mentorship and freedom

Ant Group’s strategy of publicly showcasing its accomplished researchers as mentors signals how AI talent acquisition has evolved beyond offering high salaries.

While compensation remains significant—with top AI talent at leading Chinese companies commanding annual packages exceeding ¥2M ($280K)—companies are increasingly emphasizing research freedom and mentorship opportunities to attract candidates 2.