The competition for artificial intelligence talent continues to intensify, with Silicon Valley firms like Meta offering multi-billion-dollar packages to AI researchers. Despite lucrative financial incentives, some leading AI researchers have declined these offers, emphasizing that aspects like culture, leadership, and collegiality often outweigh compensation alone. Experts including University of Toronto’s Ajay Agrawal note that the high stakes in AI development justify the escalating costs, highlighting a blend of market forces and human factors shaping talent retention strategies.