"Instead of having to obtain the highest form of education, Adam Mosseri, CEO and president of Instagram, said AI engineers have two things in common: they're scrappy and quick learners. "It's people who are very quick learners who actively experiment," Mosseri said on an episode of the Good Guys podcast hosted by Josh Peck and Ben Soffer. Mosseri added that this new wave of AI talent looks very different from the traditional Silicon Valley engineer."
"Mosseri said one of the main reasons why salaries have become inflated for seeking out the best AI talent is because it's not something you could learn in school, because it's so new. "A lot of them are in their 20s," he said. "It's a bunch of techniques and technologies that are evolving very quickly," he said. Across Silicon Valley, the AI talent war has become white-hot in 2025."
Entry-level job seekers are increasingly pursuing advanced degrees to protect careers from AI disruption. Top AI engineers often do not require prestigious academic credentials; they are characterized by scrappiness, rapid learning, and active experimentation. This new cohort contrasts with traditional Silicon Valley engineers focused on formal designs for scalable databases and long-term infrastructure. Applied AI work is concentrated in a relatively small group, while research roles still include PhDs. Compensation for elite AI talent has soared because many techniques are novel and not typically taught in school, and many practitioners are young. Intense competition among tech firms has driven exceptionally large recruitment offers.
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