In the AI era, enterprises should pay more attention to building a "talent incubator."

Securities Times Reporter Zhang Shuxian

“Raising 30 million to hire a CFO” and “waiting downstairs to snatch talent”—these widely circulated talent wars in the AI industry chain may be eye-catching, but they also reflect the scarcity of talent in the AI industry.

The reasons are twofold: on one hand, the explosive growth of the AI industry in recent years has created a talent demand gap; on the other hand, companies generally prefer “plug-and-play” talent, further exacerbating structural imbalances in the talent market.

However, when all companies lean toward “borrowing” talent—poaching experienced professionals who can hit the ground running—rather than investing in nurturing talent, the entire industry risks a talent gap.

Fortunately, many industry players have realized the drawbacks of the talent ecosystem and are actively seeking to cultivate endogenous talent. This may mark the beginning of the second half of the AI talent war, with companies shifting their focus from simply poaching externally to developing internal talent, supplemented by external recruitment.

“Endogenous talent cultivation” refers to shifting the focus of talent development inward, building a self-sustaining, continuously evolving internal talent system. This requires AI companies to have a long-term vision, replacing a star-focused mindset with a potential-based approach when recruiting talent.

As KORUI International (300662) Acting CEO Zeng Cheng said, some people may not be able to “fight tough battles” now, but those with strong learning ability, systematic thinking, and passion for technology and business can grow faster than expected once given the right environment.

Endogenous talent cultivation requires companies to deeply integrate talent development with business practice, defining development paths based on actual business problems. This demands breaking down departmental barriers—allowing algorithm engineers to understand industrial pain points on the production line, product managers to gain insights into user scenarios on the front lines, and employees to naturally grow into talents that fit the company’s development through solving business challenges.

As more companies focus on cultivating endogenous talent and establish their own “talent nurseries,” the talent pool across the industry will continue to expand. This not only alleviates the “talent shortage” for small and medium-sized enterprises but also accelerates AI’s deep empowerment of the real economy through talent infiltration.

The AI industry track has a long cycle, not a short-term trend, but a decade or even twenty years of sustained development. For companies, only by calming down amidst the talent rush and proactively building an endogenous talent cultivation system can they gain an advantage in the long run of AI.

(Edited by: He Chong)