Dive Brief:
- Securing enough AI talent is a huge priority in Silicon Valley. With that in mind Facebook has begun training internal talent to take on these challenging careers, with immersion programs that mimic real life work in the space.
- Facebook has its own AI course led by Larry Zitnick, one of the leading AI researchers in the world, TechCrunch reports. But it's at over-capacity. Engineers are vying for the top spots in AI roles, making competition fierce.
- Cross-training efforts to bring deep learning into all other areas of the company are also underway. Udacity has some external learning opportunities that anyone can take advantage of, but it's still not producing enough talent to keep up with the demands.
Dive Insight:
Unless more of the leading technology firms get on board with AI training, there will continue to be shortages until the next crop of college grads with these skills become available. It's essentially become a renaissance of sorts, akin to the development of the first mobile apps.
Facebook is taking the lead in developing and offering AI classes to bring internal teams up to speed, a move that offers a clear advantage over other companies with less of an effort. This move reflects other recruiting trends that are focused more on sourcing internal talent to ease skill gaps and improve retention. Investing resources in improving your own employees goes a long way.
