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Attention (And Money) Is All You Need: Why Universities Are Struggling to Keep AI Talent

Author

Listed:
  • Ufuk Akcigit
  • Craig A. Chikis
  • Emin Dinlersoz
  • Nathan Goldschlag

Abstract

We construct a novel dataset linking academic publication records to U.S. Census employer–employee data to track 42,000 AI researchers over two decades. We document systematic changes in the allocation of AI talent. Industry increasingly attracts younger and foreign-born researchers, while gender representation improves more in academia. The top 1% of publishing industry scientists now earn $1.5 million more annually than comparable academics, a fivefold increase since 2001. Rising wage premia coincide with greater sorting into large incumbent firms. Researchers who move to industry publish less but patent more, consistent with a shift from open science toward proprietary innovation.

Suggested Citation

  • Ufuk Akcigit & Craig A. Chikis & Emin Dinlersoz & Nathan Goldschlag, 2026. "Attention (And Money) Is All You Need: Why Universities Are Struggling to Keep AI Talent," NBER Working Papers 34964, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:34964
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    JEL classification:

    • I23 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Higher Education; Research Institutions
    • J45 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Particular Labor Markets - - - Public Sector Labor Markets
    • L33 - Industrial Organization - - Nonprofit Organizations and Public Enterprise - - - Comparison of Public and Private Enterprise and Nonprofit Institutions; Privatization; Contracting Out
    • O31 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Innovation and Invention: Processes and Incentives

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