Rival Chinese companies are making aggressive moves to recruit top talent from Alibaba's leading AI research facility
In a significant shakeup within the Chinese tech industry, two senior AI experts, Yan Zhijie and Bo Liefeng, have left Alibaba Group's Tongyi Lab to join rival companies. Yan Zhijie has joined JD.com's JD Explore Academy, while Bo Liefeng has moved to Tencent's Hunyuan AI model team.
Yan Zhijie's Move to JD.com
Yan Zhijie, a former early member of Alibaba's Damo Academy and ex-head of Tongyi’s speech lab, has now joined JD.com’s Explore Academy. This academy is actively recruiting top AI talent across the industry. Yan briefly worked at Tencent before his move to JD.com.
Bo Liefeng's Transition to Tencent
Bo Liefeng, former head of Tongyi's applied vision division, has transitioned directly to Tencent’s Hunyuan AI team. Bo had prior experience at JD.com and Amazon before heading Tongyi’s applied vision group. He is now part of Tencent's team that focuses on AI model development.
Alibaba's Response
In response to these high-profile departures, Alibaba has launched a “Star Top Talent Recruitment and Development Programme” to attract elite AI researchers and retain its leadership in AI innovation. This programme is particularly aimed at its widely used Qwen AI models that have surpassed 400 million downloads globally.
Competition for AI Talent
Both JD.com and Tencent are aggressively building their AI capabilities by attracting senior experts from competitors like Alibaba. JD.com has its Tech Genius Team as part of the JD Explore Academy, and Tencent is advancing its AI model teams like Hunyuan AI.
Summary
| Person | Previous Role at Alibaba | New Employer and Team | |--------------|----------------------------------------|--------------------------------------| | Yan Zhijie | Head of Tongyi speech lab, Damo Academy | JD.com, JD Explore Academy | | Bo Liefeng | Head of Tongyi applied vision division | Tencent, Hunyuan AI model team |
The competition for top AI talent in China has intensified, with Alibaba, JD.com, and Tencent all vying to recruit and retain the best researchers. This development marks an exciting new chapter in the ongoing AI talent war in China.
- The intense competition for top AI talent continues in China, as evidenced by Yan Zhijie's move from Alibaba's Tongyi Lab to JD.com's JD Explore Academy, a team known for actively recruiting top AI talent across the industry.
- Bo Liefeng, another senior AI expert who previously headed Tongyi's applied vision division, has joined Tencent's Hunyuan AI team, a division focused on developing AI models, showcasing the competitive landscape in China's AI industry.
- In response to high-profile departures like Yan Zhijie and Bo Liefeng, Alibaba has launched a "Star Top Talent Recruitment and Development Programme" to attract elite AI researchers and maintain its lead in AI innovation, particularly for its Qwen AI models that have surpassed 400 million global downloads.
