China turns to high schoolers in race for AI talent

Chinese companies are increasingly expanding their AI talent pipeline beyond universities, launching programs aimed at identifying future engineers years before they enter the workforce.

In June, Tencent launched a series of three- to eight-week summer camps for students aged 13 to 18, offering training in AI product management, robotics and quantum computing.

ByteDance founder Zhang Yiming established a nonprofit research center in October last year for students aged 16 to 18. Each year, the center selects 30 students for full-time research internships in AI, mathematics and computer science while also hosting summer camps for a broader group of participants. Applicants must submit academic transcripts, describe their experience and include a statement from their parents explaining how they have supported their children's education.

Automaker Geely also launched a talent development program in March, recruiting students immediately after high school graduation for training before placing them in full-time jobs with salaries comparable to those of bachelor's degree holders. The company provides its own curriculum covering AI, new energy vehicles, the low-altitude economy and satellite technology.

Li Shufu (center), founder of Geely Auto, posing with students during a talent search program at a Geely event. Photo courtesy of Geely

The push comes as China faces a widening shortage of AI professionals. Consulting firm McKinsey estimates the country will need about 6 million AI workers by 2030, while the current talent pipeline is expected to supply only around 2 million. According to McKinsey analyst Alex Sawaya, China has two realistic options: upskill existing workers or broaden its talent pipeline.

"In a market where AI scientists and algorithm roles are already commanding very high salaries, firms are trying to identify high-upside talent before the market fully prices them in," Tianchen Xu, an economist at Economist Intelligence Unit, told Rest of World.

He added that younger engineers who have grown up with open-source models, coding agents and rapid experimentation may adapt more quickly and remain with companies longer.

The shortage is not unique to China. A ManpowerGroup survey earlier this year of more than 39,000 employers across 41 countries found that AI model development and application and AI proficiency were the two hardest skills to recruit, cited by 20% and 19% of employers, respectively.

The talent gap is also changing how technology companies evaluate job candidates.

Google co-founder Sergey Brin told Fortune in January that the company is hiring "tons" of workers without bachelor's degrees. Between 2017 and 2022, the share of Google's job postings requiring a college degree fell from 93% to 77%, according to the Burning Glass Institute. Microsoft, Apple and Cisco have also reduced degree requirements in recent years, reflecting a broader shift toward skills-based hiring.

Chris Pei, co-founder of AI recruitment company UFound, said that businesses are investing more resources in identifying promising students at younger ages. However, he said hiring decisions are still largely made when candidates reach university or graduate school.

"The investment in high school students is really about building a long-term talent pool. Companies want a way to follow these students’ development over several years and see who eventually grows into the kind of person they want to hire."