Huawei Welcomes AI 'Prodigies' to Accelerate Artificial Intelligence Development

On July 23, Huawei announced the launch of its global "Genius Youth" recruitment initiative through its WeChat public account. This year’s program distinguishes itself from the previous year's by stating that candidates can come from any academic discipline and will especially target talent in artificial intelligence (AI).

A Huawei representative noted that there is a significant shortage of high-end AI talent in the market. The company aims to attract skilled professionals while also nurturing potential talent for future industries. The qualifications for the "Genius Youth" program are broad: no restrictions on school, major, or educational background are imposed. However, candidates should have exceptional achievements in mathematics, physics, chemistry, computer science, or AI, and should aspire to become technology leaders.

Huawei is committed to providing "Genius Youth" participants with world-class challenges, mentorship from industry leaders, and access to a global platform and resources. Traditionally, the program focused on fields such as computer science, software engineering, and algorithm research. This year, the addition of AI talent underscores Huawei’s emphasis on this critical area.

The competition for AI talent is intensifying globally, especially as companies like ByteDance, Xiaohongshu, and Meituan expand their recruitment efforts in areas such as machine learning and computer vision, according to data from talent markets. As the demand for AI professionals grows, a report by iiMedia Consulting revealed that 91.3% of responding companies in China are facing a shortage of AI expertise.

Huawei’s approach reflects a strategic adjustment to attract a more diverse range of skills and backgrounds by relaxing major restrictions. This will enhance the company's technological innovation and product development capabilities. As notable AI advancements like large models and generative AI rapidly evolve, the need for skilled workers in this domain continues to rise.

Huawei's ongoing commitment to the "Genius Youth" recruitment series showcases the company's dedication to research and development. In 2023, Huawei's R&D investment reached an impressive 164.7 billion yuan, accounting for 23.4% of its sales. Over the past decade, the total investment in R&D has surpassed 1.1 trillion yuan, with AI being a key focus area. Huawei’s rotating chairman, Xu Zhijun, emphasized the importance of building the Ascend ecosystem as pivotal for the company's AI development.

Moving forward, Huawei plans to keep investing in foundational AI research and generative AI technologies, aiming to develop general AI capabilities based on large model architectures. By accelerating efforts in areas such as hardware openness, software open-source platforms, and industry chain expansion, Huawei seeks to establish a vibrant AI industrial ecosystem that supports the digital transformation of enterprises and industries.