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Britain Faces an AI Brain Drain as Tech Giants Raid Top Universities (telegraph.co.uk)

British outlet The Telegraph reports: Britain faces an artificial intelligence "brain drain" as Silicon Valley raids its top universities for talent, data compiled by The Telegraph shows. Around a third of leading machine learning and AI specialists who have left the UK's top institutions are currently working at Silicon Valley tech firms. More than a tenth have moved to North American universities and nearly a tenth are currently working for other smaller US companies. Meanwhile just one in seven have joined British start-ups.

68 comments

  1. Britain faces drain of big 'ole MAN TITTIES! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1

    who want's to see some California corn tits?!

  2. It's a brain drain in every sense of the world by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1

    The world's brightest minds, all put to work figuring out ways to get you to look at ads.

    1. Re:It's a brain drain in every sense of the world by alvinrod · · Score: 1, Redundant

      No one wants to pay for services online because they've become attached to "free" and yet all of these services and content still require resources to produce, so the ad model is one of the few approaches that work. Others (such as using your CPU to mine cryptocurrencies or a patronage model) have their own issues or don't scale well to large organizations.

      So the natural demand is to figure out how to deliver ads to get a better return on them because the companies that advertise would like to spend less money on them and the companies that place the ads would like to get more people to click on them. Whether or not you think this looks stupid from the outside is irrelevant. Unless you're willing to pay AI researchers more money in order to do something else, they're going to go after the best paying jobs that they can get.

    2. Re: It's a brain drain in every sense of the world by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      ""Unless you're willing to pay AI researchers more money in order to do something else, they're going to go after the best paying jobs that they can get.""

      The exact same argument can be used for anyone, doing any job. It doesn't work on anyone else, and it doesn't work on AI researchers. ffs

      If you don't pay your trash collectors top wages, your trash collectors have no choice but to rob your home. They will continue to rob homes until someone pays them better pay to do something else/better.

      God the world some people live in is unbelievably insane. The entitlement some people have is criminally narcissistic and very much sociopathic.

      Tell you what, since you aren't paying me better to do anything better or different, I'll continue work on my universe ending bomb. It's not my fault. I'm justified because after all, I have bills to pay and screw you in particular. You could have paid me not to do it, but you never did. Sucks to be you I guess....fecking idiots

    3. Re:It's a brain drain in every sense of the world by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      it's easy. Just read on ABP's site what is an ethical ad. (hint: it's banner ads, text ads, self hosted gif ads.)

  3. I "dim their lights" the best way by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1

    Via APK Hosts File Engine 2.0++ 64-bit for Linux & BSD h t t p : / / a p k . i t - m a t e . c o . u k / A P K H o s t s F i l e E n g i n e F o r L i n u x . z i p

    Yields more security/speed/reliability/anonymity vs. any 1 solution (99% of threats use hostnames vs. IP address most firewalls use) more efficiently/FASTER + NATIVELY 4 less!

    Vs. "Bolt on 'MoAr' illogic-logic" slowing you hosts speed u up 2 ways: Adblocks + Hardcode fav. sites u spend most time @ vs. competition loaded w/ security bugs (DNS/AntiVir) + overheads slowing u (messagepass 'souled-out' to advertisers easily detected & blocked addons + firewall filtering drivers) & their complexity leads to exploitation!

    * ONLY 1 of its kind in GUI 4 Linux/BSD!

    (Better vs. Windows model in speed/efficiency/merge)

    APK

    P.S.=> Protects vs. script trackers/ads/DNS request tracking + redirect poisoned or downed DNS/botnets/malware downloads/malcript/email malicious payloads... apk

  4. New Math? by TWX · · Score: 1, Insightful

    More than a tenth have moved to North American universities and nearly a tenth are currently working for other smaller US companies. Meanwhile just one in seven have joined British start-ups.

    So, 10% have sought employment with American firms. and a little over 14% are working for British firms? First, that means that more are working for British firms than have left for America, and second, the numbers for those that have left are only 24%, so about a quarter. Does that mean that three quarters or 75% of graduates are still at university?

    Last time I checked, disciplines where the vast majority of graduates ended up working in the universities were liberal-arts. Don't we want graduates to go into industry? Isn't that sort of the point of going through school, to be able to get a good job and to do well for one's self and one's family?

    --
    Do not look into laser with remaining eye.
    1. Re:New Math? by Geoffrey.landis · · Score: 1

      More than a tenth have moved to North American universities and nearly a tenth are currently working for other smaller US companies. Meanwhile just one in seven have joined British start-ups.

      So, 10% have sought employment with American firms. and a little over 14% are working for British firms?

      Nope. A little over 14% are working for British startup firms. The number that are working for British firms which aren't start-ups is not listed here.

      --
      http://www.geoffreylandis.com
    2. Re:New Math? by Repentinus · · Score: 1

      Great reading comprehension there. You just missed the following insignificant part: Around a third of leading machine learning and AI specialists who have left the UK's top institutions are currently working at Silicon Valley tech firms. If you add the more than a tenth [... at] North American universities and the nearly a tenth [... at] other smaller US companies to the third who have left for Silicon Valley, you can sort of understand why the British would be concerned. Losing fifty percent of AI researchers leaving the British academia to the U.S. means you are not exactly competitive.

    3. Re:New Math? by MegaThawt · · Score: 2

      Your math may have missed the part that says "Around a third of leading machine learning and AI specialists who have left the UK’s top institutions are currently working at Silicon Valley tech firms." Brain Drain rate would be about 30%.

      --
      All sigs should be as funny as possible, but no funnier.
    4. Re: New Math? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Just guessing...You got poor marks in reading comprehension in high school?

    5. Re:New Math? by mikael · · Score: 1

      Mostly, it's all startup's in the UK. Some are inter-university consortium's trying to solve grand challenges. Others are startups that were bought up by Google and the other big companies. A good number are analytic's companies that do data mining.

      --
      Vintage computer adverts: http://www.vintageadbrowser.com/computers-and-software-ads
  5. Oh no! by fluffernutter · · Score: 1

    Oh no! Britain won't be able to have their own car that slams into concrete barriers.

    --
    Laws are rules for the court, but merely a bottom bar to hit for life. Think beyond laws in your actions always.
    1. Re:Oh no! by Rick+Schumann · · Score: 1

      You made me smile with this comment. :-) Apparently people are starting to wake up. :-)

    2. Re: Oh no! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Ditto. I wouldn't wish for a new AI winter, but given current tech not seeing advanced thermostats suitable for everything but the most mundane tasks, under supervision and abundance of controls.

      People need to see disaster before taking notice it seems.

  6. Registered /.ers review of the Win64 model by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1

    Your software is just fine - well written, functional... I'm going to continue using the Host File Engine by mmell February 17, 2017

    Your premise that hostfiles are a good way to deal with advertising and malvertising is quite valid - by JazzLad April 20, 2016

    his hosts program is actually pretty good by xenotransplant August 10 2015

    his hosts tool is actually useful for those cases in which one does indeed want to locally block stuff outright while consuming minimum system resources by alexgieg September 25 2015

    I like your host file system by Karmashock September 09 2015

    that APK guy, I use his host file by rogoshen1 Tuesday March 03, 2015

    I personally use a HOSTS file blocker produced from a genius called APK by 110010001000 October 27 2017

    * Linux model = faster/more efficient

    APK

    P.S.=> APK Hosts File Engine 9.0++ SR-1 32/64-bit for Windows https://www.google.comsearch?s...

  7. Bad for Britain by 110010001000 · · Score: 3, Funny

    Britain is falling behind on Go-playing technology. Pretty soon they won't be able to compete in Go-playing tournaments. Definitely more government money needs to spent on funding British AI startups.

    1. Re:Bad for Britain by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      But AI can win some three dimensional games when playing against humans, including shooting games. You can see where this leads.. kill bots.

      The Go playing machines, master debaters (propaganda machines), etc are only the publicly available details, the rest are kept under NDA and top secret classified agreements. It is easy to see the military and corporate uses of these algorithms. Power.

    2. Re:Bad for Britain by serviscope_minor · · Score: 1

      Britain is falling behind on Go-playing technology.

      DeepMind is/was a British company and is still based in London, you muppet.

      --
      SJW n. One who posts facts.
  8. British cars by TWX · · Score: 1

    Why don't the British build computers?

    ..

    ..

    ..

    ..

    Because they haven't figured out how to make them leak oil yet!

    --
    Do not look into laser with remaining eye.
    1. Re:British cars by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

      Because they haven't figured out how to make them leak oil yet!

      As long as they can still let out smoke, they can qualify for production in the UK.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
    2. Re:British cars by Thud457 · · Score: 1

      Seems like we always are hearing about British brain drains. But yeah, lets blame this on brexit and google, and not mention the illuminati reptoids.

      --

      the preceding comment is my own and in no way reflects the opinion of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

    3. Re:British cars by anegg · · Score: 1

      Seems like we always are hearing about British brain drains. But yeah, lets blame this on brexit and google, and not mention the illuminati reptoids.

      fjords all the way down

  9. Just the latest brain drain. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Last year it was blockchain brain drain. The year before that cloud brain drain.

    1. Re:Just the latest brain drain. by AmiMoJo · · Score: 1

      Indeed, it's more to do with young people having their futures ripped away by Brexit and seeing that the UK is on a downward spiral, with all the wealth and property owned by the boomers and little opportunity for them to reach the same level.

      Couple that with the government trying to reduce immigration by reducing foreign student numbers and there is a serious lack of talent right now. Companies just can't get the skills they need, or retain them.

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    2. Re: Just the latest brain drain. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Ah, it's the clown who just *had* to bring Brexit into it. Grats!

      You do know that this has been going on for decades, pretty much since the death of the British home computer market in the early 90s.

      Silicon Valley is still the Mecca of the tech industry, and *that's* why tech graduates flock there. You might as well say the steady flow of British acting talent to Hollywood is 'due to Brexit'.

      But of course, I suspect your fully aware of this and you're just being a disingenuous cunt.

    3. Re: Just the latest brain drain. by anegg · · Score: 1

      You do know that this has been going on for decades, pretty much since the death of the British home computer market in the early 90s.

      Was the British home computer market a symptom or a cause?

    4. Re:Just the latest brain drain. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      young people having their futures ripped away by Brexit

      Thatcher ripped away the future of most young Britons over three decades ago; not that a pampered neo-liberal like yourself would care about such "deplorables".

    5. Re: Just the latest brain drain. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You do know that this has been going on for decades, pretty much since the death of the British home computer market in the early 90s.

      Was the British home computer market a symptom or a cause?

      It was obviously a symptom of American built computers and clones dominating not just the British market, but literally everywhere.

  10. college? by originalGMC · · Score: 1

    I thought big tech didn't like college.

  11. Those Who Can, Do by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Those Who Can't, Stay In Britain

    God Bless the Queen!

    America is still kicking the Red Coats' asses 200+ years later

  12. A few weeks ago on Slashdot.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    It was "US Brain Drain"
    Then it was "Canada Brain Drain"
    Now it's "UK Brain Drain"

    Each article was about other countries stealing talent (first from US to Canada, then Canada to US, etc)

    This fad is dumber than cloud

  13. Startups by Njovich · · Score: 1

    Lets be real, how many AI specialists do British startups really need? Tech giants that are developing sophisticated AI libraries and very rich audio, video and other data analysis software have a huge need for AI specialists, but most startups seem to just be applying those tools. Of course, some exist, but 1 in 7 sounds about right.

    1. Re:Startups by mikael · · Score: 1

      There are startups working on autonomous vehicle driving, machine vision to do automated mapping using laser scanning, digital photography, medical diagnosis and just about anything else working with vast collections of high-resolution image data that would be impossible to do manually. They need hundreds of graduates with OpenCV experience.

      --
      Vintage computer adverts: http://www.vintageadbrowser.com/computers-and-software-ads
  14. Dim APK lies more by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1

    Dim Alexander Peter Kowalski lies some more.
    Like how he claims the Chinese copied him but can't produce any evidence.
    How about when he states that hosts does port filtering but again can't backup his statement which was shown to be false.
    There is also his list of "experts" who support him but it turns out they don't say what he is claiming.
    This also ignores his out of context quotes he uses to lie by omission that he used above and links to.
    The problem with APK is that his entire reputation is built upon the lie he told years ago that hosts is an effective security solution. It has been exposed numerous times as being a lie and when exposed APK fails to argue logically and instead will try to deflect criticism, change the subject, move the goal posts, return to a previously disproven statement, demand you prove you did better than his file concatenator, or just call people names. This will be done here because he has nothing so it will not be responded to. He will continue to lie by stating that he won or "dusted" you while failing to refute anything you said, will never provide real evidence, and generally try to dodge the issue.

    Face it APK is one of the most detested individuals here for good reason. When ever his poor behavior, awful logic, over statements, and horrendous writing are called out he has a fit and has done so for years across the internet. He is a spammer, and is an abusive insecure little man who is washed up and never amounted to anything. Until he produces actual verifiable facts supporting his case nothing he says should be taken seriously.

  15. I "dim their lights" the best way by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1

    Via APK Hosts File Engine 2.0++ 64-bit for Linux & BSD h t t p : / / a p k . i t - m a t e . c o . u k / A P K H o s t s F i l e E n g i n e F o r L i n u x . z i p

    Yields more security/speed/reliability/anonymity vs. any 1 solution (99% of threats use hostnames vs. IP address most firewalls use) more efficiently/FASTER + NATIVELY 4 less.

    Vs. "Bolt on 'MoAr' illogic-logic" slowing you hosts speed u up 2 ways: Adblocks + Hardcode fav. sites u spend most time @ vs. competition loaded w/ security bugs (DNS/AntiVir) + overheads slowing u (messagepass 'souled-out' to advertisers easily detected & blocked addons + firewall filtering drivers) & their complexity leads to exploitation!

    * ONLY 1 of its kind in GUI 4 Linux/BSD!

    (Better vs. Windows model in speed/efficiency/merge)

    APK

    P.S.=> Protects vs. script trackers/ads/DNS request tracking + redirect poisoned or downed DNS/botnets/malware downloads/malcript/email malicious payloads... apk

  16. Brexit side effect? by jellomizer · · Score: 2

    I am wondering if this has to do with Brexit. Sure going to America isn't much better, but Americans get an other vote in 2 more years, to change direction. Brexit on the other hand is nearly as bad, but much more difficult to stop.

    Tech firms in general are used to global collaboration, Brexit is making it more difficult for UK tech firms to do so.

    --
    If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
    1. Re:Brexit side effect? by AmiMoJo · · Score: 1

      The other thing is that UK wages are very low, well below other EU countries and steadily falling. For good candidates who are young and have few ties keeping them in the UK the salaries elsewhere are very attractive.

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    2. Re:Brexit side effect? by hcs_$reboot · · Score: 1

      Of course it's taboo, so let's not talk about the "weather effect".

      --
      Slashdot, fix the reply notifications... You won't get away with it...
    3. Re: Brexit side effect? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No this is climate change, and some part cyber bullying. Duh

  17. Registered /.ers review of the Win64 model by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1

    Your software is just fine - well written, functional... I'm going to continue using the Host File Engine by mmell February 17, 2017

    Your premise that hostfiles are a good way to deal with advertising and malvertising is quite valid - by JazzLad April 20, 2016

    his hosts program is actually pretty good by xenotransplant August 10 2015

    his hosts tool is actually useful for those cases in which one does indeed want to locally block stuff outright while consuming minimum system resources by alexgieg September 25 2015

    I like your host file system by Karmashock September 09 2015

    that APK guy, I use his host file by rogoshen1 Tuesday March 03, 2015

    I personally use a HOSTS file blocker produced from a genius called APK by 110010001000 October 27 2017

    * Linux model = faster/more efficient!

    APK

    P.S.=> APK Hosts File Engine 9.0++ SR-1 32/64-bit for Windows https://www.google.comsearch?s...

  18. As to YOUR lies? LOL: #1/4 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1

    See subject & 2 questions you won't answer: 1.) Do hosts stop threats served by hostname (the way threats are done most) by blocking them? Yes. 2.) Do hosts speed you up 2 ways in adblocking (preventing more infection/tracking/slowdown) & via hardcoded favorite sites resolving faster + protecting vs. dns down or redirect poisoned? Yes.

    My hosts program's the only 1 that does the latter @ TOP of hosts cached in RAM (for best performance) & only 1 of its kind on Linux/BSD in easy to use flexible configuration GUI form.

    (I also did that latter part LONG before the Chinese & 1st http://theregister.co.uk/2017/... )

    APK

    P.S.-> Have you done work that's that effective doing more for less faster in kernelmode speed (cpu priority) w/ less complexity for exploit + excess overheads vs. solutions KNOWN to be security-issue riddled (like addons (souled-out to NOT work by default OR easily detected & blocked that are BYPASSABLE & EXPLOITABLE), DNS & Antivirus)? No... apk

  19. As to YOUR lies? LOL: #2/4 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1

    "classic Windows hosts trick to block the Coinhive or Crypto-Loot domains" - https://www.bleepingcomputer.comnews/security/a-new-player-joins-coinhive-on-the-browser-cryptojacking-scene/ - BLEEPING COMPUTER

    SANS ("A related approach to the DNS issue is to create a hosts file on each system that sends requests for spyware to some place else. Both Ramu and an anonymous reader have suggested this" hosts by myself & RAMU right @ START of "malware explosion" mid 2005 on) https://isc.sans.edu/forums/di...

    Aryeh Goretsky/ESET/NOD32: hosts = good security http://it.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=7442373&cid=49747129/

    ZD NET http://www.zdnet.comarticle/how-to-use-a-hosts-file-to-improve-your-internet-experience/ "Hosts files really shine by letting you block ads, spyware sites, malware sites, & tracking sites"

    Steve Gibson on hosts https://www.grc.comsn/sn-045.htm/

    Oliver Day (SYMANTEC/SECURITYFOCUS) http://www.securityfocus.comcolumnists/491/

    APK

  20. As to YOUR lies? LOL: #3/4 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1

    "It's working: Neville... it's working!" See subject & results from THIS month alone https://it.slashdot.org/commen... & https://it.slashdot.org/commen... + https://it.slashdot.org/commen... + https://it.slashdot.org/commen... that's only recently while I've been on Linux (few months now only) & 100's of times vs. MANY other botnets/malwares etc. in the past circa 2006-early 2018 while I was on Windows: There's BULLSHIT & doing nothing pessimsm & then? There's CONCRETE VISIBLE UNDENIABLE REALITY (see those links as proof).

    P.S.=> 3 things show I do it right:

    1st = User praise my hosts engine https://tech.slashdot.org/comm...

    2nd "ATTACKS" I GET (from UNIDENTIFIABLE ac as Elon Musk got https://tech.slashdot.org/stor... )

    3rd BEING IMITATED = "Imitation = sincerest form of flattery" https://linux.slashdot.org/com... ... apk

  21. As to YOUR lies? LOL: #4/4 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1

    Arstechnica = losers who stalked me (as you do now anonymously unidentifiably) to NTCompatible.com & Windows IT Pro magazine forums to their public dismay in Jeremy Reimer & Jay Little + Jarrett DeAngelis (who posts here on /. until I drove his ass off too) when their websites were REMOVED by their hosting providers in Shaw Canada & CrystalTech (for both email harassing me caught on a tracking ticket + stalking me & posting lies about me on them AFTER I destroyed them both PUBLICLY @ Windows IT Pro on Exchange Servers memory being freed UNHALTING them (which tells you Exchange is HEAVILY POINTER ORIENTED linked list driven, which leads to memory fragmentation that CAN halt a serverware)).

    Jay Little the "self-proclaimed 'EXCHANGE EXPERT'" HAD TO CONCEDE IT from MICROSOFT'S OWN DOCUMENTATION proving it FOR me there (where they as usual stalked me AS YOU ARE NOW)

    Thor SCHMUCK?

    Ask him WHY his false accusation of an old ware of mine was 1st taken down to NO threat & CA sold off the SHITTY antivir he sold (as a paid pawn of theirs) & they are GONE, done. dead... lol!

    Lookup "CA Accounting Scandal" on Google - scumbags & THEIR BIRDS OF A FEATHER just go down vs. me everytime!

    APK

    P.S.=> TONS of Security experts KNOW blacklists work (no questions asked) & 3 things show I do it right:

    1st = User praise my hosts engine https://tech.slashdot.org/comm... (so much for ME being "detested" but I'm not here to win a popularity contest - just here to WIN so everyone does).

    2nd "ATTACKS" I GET (from UNIDENTIFIABLE ac as Elon Musk got https://tech.slashdot.org/stor... )

    3rd BEING IMITATED = "Imitation = sincerest form of flattery" https://linux.slashdot.org/com... JUST LIKE CHINA DID ME TOO... apk

    1. Re:As to YOUR lies? LOL: #4/4 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Just fuck off you fatass incel.

    2. Re:As to YOUR lies? LOL: #4/4 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Says the UNIDENTIFIABLE anonymous JEREMY REIMER complete with foreign purchased hooker he pimps to pay his bills.

  22. EU Brain Drain by shaksys · · Score: 1

    Blame brexit all you want, the fact is that our lords and masters in silicone valley are draining every nation in Europe and Asia, not just the UK.

    1. Re:EU Brain Drain by hcs_$reboot · · Score: 1

      ...you missed to add that this is the case for AI specialists, not every engineer.

      --
      Slashdot, fix the reply notifications... You won't get away with it...
  23. I See a Path Forward by mentil · · Score: 1

    Obviously Britain needs to build some artificial brains in order to make up for the deficit in human brainpower. Then their AI expertise will be unmatched!

    --
    Corruption is convincing someone that the selfless ideal is the same as their selfish ideal.
  24. Supply and Demand? by d0ran$ · · Score: 1

    First of all the article is subscriber only (why does Slashdot do this?) so I can't read it to answer my own question which is:

    Is there an under supply of AI specialists in Britain? If so then there is a problem but if not then it is understandable that you would look for work elsewhere...

  25. EU Research Funding Going, going...gone by Roger+W+Moore · · Score: 2

    I am wondering if this has to do with Brexit.

    Almost certainly. The UK gets a huge slice of the EU research grant budget - far larger than its population would suggest - and the UK government has offered no replacement program yet that will provide the same amount of grants. If Brexit turns out to be a hard one I expect the numbers leaving will increase enormously.

    The UK already has some of the lowest academic salaries out there (that was why I ended up leaving since I had a family to support) and they lack tenure - it was replaced by 5-year renewable contracts. Research funding was one of the big draws but if that goes away as well I expect there will be a flood of people leaving.

    1. Re:EU Research Funding Going, going...gone by serviscope_minor · · Score: 1

      it was replaced by 5-year renewable contracts.

      Only sort of. That's a conceit by the institutions but it has no basis in law. If you've been employed that long as far as the law is concerned you are a permanent employee and due all the rights of any other permanent employee no matter what the contract claims to say.

      That said academic institutions have been playing fast and loose with employment law for a long time. They are lucky that most academics have better things to do than slog through employment tribunals.

      --
      SJW n. One who posts facts.
  26. probably scaremongering by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    There is a contra argument here. The existing salary in London for a top data scientist are half the cost that is paid for the same in US. I have heard that Google is creating AI research group here in London and have employed more than 150 data scientist in last few years simple due to salary cost. Google scouts for data scientist are all around the world and apparently they are bringing them to long interview here in London and they are employed here - not in US.

  27. "Bugger, it doesn't live up to the hype.." by Rick+Schumann · · Score: 1

    "Oh bugger, it doesn't live up to the hype our marketing department laid out to the investors and customers, what do we do now? We thought it was just another design cycle and we'd have a working, saleable product by now, what do we do? The investors and stockholders will have our heads!"
    "Tut tut Nigel, we'll just invoke a version of the million monkeys theory at the problem, by recruiting every single programmer that has the term 'AI' in their resume and hope they can get us that last 0.1% we need to make something that isn't dumber than an amoeba and more unfathomable than Mona Lisa's smile." Never mind that it's like the Bridge in Zork, you only ever get infinitessimally closer to the other side, but never, ever actually make it across.

  28. Au Contraire by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    College students spend exorbitant amounts of money to attend the school of their choice; learn from the best and brightest about the evils of capitalism and the utopia that socialism/communism would be; and then go to work for the most capitalist industries known to man.

    After all, pulling down six-figure salaries from those evil capitalist tech firms is the best way to signal your soc-com virtue.

    In all seriousness, we have seen time and time again that alt-left indoctrination centers known as colleges have basically used their converts to infiltrate most industries in hopes to turn the world into the soc-com paradise.

  29. Perhaps if they paid better by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The average developer in Britain makes less than his counterparts in the US - in virtually all skill areas and levels of competence. There aren't too many folks with more than minimal experience going to Britain for jobs in software, but more coming the other way ? Could it be that these are bright people ? A British company that wants to compete just needs to offer better pay and miraculously they'll have more (and likely better) developers applying to work there.

  30. Ridiculous reaction by Katatsumuri · · Score: 1

    TFA may be junk, but Slashdot reaction is just sad (I mean several most visible responses here with jokes about imperfect cars, Go game, general lack of brains, million monkeys, etc). Okay, AI is over-hyped, but advances with real-world value are also happening, and they become increasingly relevant for states economy and military power. And major breakthroughs like AGI are low probability but huge impact events, which states also cannot ignore.

    Also, brain drain is always something to consider; definitely not a sign of a booming economy.

    1. Re:Ridiculous reaction by fluffernutter · · Score: 1

      Then why is everything we talk about on Slashdot so limited in scope and functionality?

      --
      Laws are rules for the court, but merely a bottom bar to hit for life. Think beyond laws in your actions always.
  31. Spelled Scottish Startups Wrong by WillAffleckUW · · Score: 1

    I think you meant to write Scottish startups.

    That said, a colleague of mine is now running his own lab on the East Coast (US) and running seminars and workgroups on AI. The water's fine, come on in.

    --
    -- Tigger warning: This post may contain tiggers! --
  32. They are working for big firm on UK by aepervius · · Score: 1

    Meanwhile just one in seven have joined British start-ups.

    The 1/7 joined start up, it says nothing about those who joined big firms or university or are just plain unemployed, or are working out of their study subject ,e.g. they are now in accounting or whatever.

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  33. The brains left a long time ago by pablo_max · · Score: 2

    Seriously, I don't know if they are all trolls or what, but you ever read the comment sections on any of the British websites that have anything remotely to do with Brexit or the EU, I would say it is clear that the brains left the UK a long time ago and the island is inhabited purely by Trump loving psychopaths.
    Some of the arguments those people make are literally retarded. I would say they have absolutely zero reasoning skills.

    1. Re:The brains left a long time ago by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Living in the middle of it here in the UK is even worse the rabid dog whistles are blown loudly and openly, never thought i would see the UK go down like this.

  34. Paywalled. Summary is almost meaningless by dcooper_db9 · · Score: 2

    The article is pay-walled so we're left with what's stated in the summary. Rewritten for clarity:

    An unknown number of leading machine learning and AI specialists have left the UK's top institutions. Of that unknown number:

    • 33% are working for Silicon Valley tech firms.
    • 10% are working for other smaller US companies.
    • 10% are working for North American universities.
    • 15% are working for British start-ups.
    • 32% are unaccounted for.

    Furthermore:

    • Did they count where the jobs are or are they actually counting who they are working for? There's no brain drain if the jobs remain in the UK.
    • Exactly who is being counted as a "leading machine learning or AI specialist"?
    • How many experts have moved from the US to the UK?
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  35. This is why we have H1-B visas by Solandri · · Score: 1

    If you wanna know why the modern H1-B visa was born, this is why. Research in the 1980s turned up the exact same thing happening at U.S. colleges and universities. A large portion of the American students were graduating, then leaving the U.S. to work in other countries. The H1-B was created to help stem this brain drain. Changes to student visas encouraged foreign students to stay in the U.S. and get a job after graduating. While the H1-B encouraged graduates from foreign universities to come work in the U.S. It later ended up being abused to hell by companies set up specifically to shepherd foreign workers into the U.S., but it had legitimate beginnings.

    1. Re:This is why we have H1-B visas by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yet now all the lib morons want to wail about increasing illegal immigration and not increasing legitimate immigration of quality candidates, both students and professionals.

      Once we run out of immigration applicants who are already working professionals, maybe we should discuss allowing "just anyone". I don't see it happening soon.

  36. Tenure much more than "Permanent Employment" by Roger+W+Moore · · Score: 1

    as the law is concerned you are a permanent employee and due all the rights of any other permanent employee

    Being a permanent employee is nothing like tenure. Tenure grants certain immunities that permanent employees do not have. In particular, I am largely free to share my opinions and knowledge without the concern that I could get fired if this upsets someone. A permanent employee could easily get fired if they vocally disagree with company management or policy - just look at what happened to that Google engineer you refer to in your sig: right or wrong he got fired for speaking his mind which, if he were a tenured academic, would not happen unless his speech was in violation of the law.

    1. Re:Tenure much more than "Permanent Employment" by serviscope_minor · · Score: 1

      Being a permanent employee is nothing like tenure.

      Thankyou captain obvious. I didn't say that. I said that 5 year contracts are not a thing. They can't simply fire you when the contract's over and hire someone else for the same position. Well, not legally anyway.

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