Are you an AI researcher at an academic institution? Are you anxious you are not coping with the current pace of AI advancements? Do you feel you have no (or very limited) access to the computational and human resources required for an AI research breakthrough? You are not alone; we feel the same way. A growing number of AI academics can no longer find the means and resources to compete at a global scale. This is a somewhat recent phenomenon, but an accelerating one, with private actors investing enormous compute resources into cutting edge AI research. Here, we discuss what you can do to stay competitive while remaining an academic. We also briefly discuss what universities and the private sector could do improve the situation, if they are so inclined. This is not an exhaustive list of strategies, and you may not agree with all of them, but it serves to start a discussion.
翻译:您是否是一名就职于学术机构的AI研究员?是否因难以跟上当前AI发展的步伐而焦虑?是否觉得自己缺乏(或极为有限)获取AI研究突破所需的计算和人力资源?您并非孤例:我们亦感同身受。越来越多的AI学者已无法找到在全球范围内竞争的手段与资源。这是近年加速涌现的新现象——私营机构正将海量算力倾注于前沿AI研究。本文探讨了如何在不脱离学术圈的前提下保持竞争力,并简要讨论了高校与私营部门在有意愿时可采取哪些改进措施。此策略清单并非详尽无遗,或许您也并不全然认同,但其初衷在于引发探讨。