SAN FRANCISCO – The battle for artificial intelligence supremacy has moved to a new front: recruitment. Major Chinese technology firms, including ByteDance, Baidu, and Alibaba Cloud, are actively scouting for top-tier AI and semiconductor talent directly on US soil, intensifying the rivalry between the two tech superpowers.

Despite export controls and political tensions, Chinese firms are offering lucrative packages to engineers and researchers in Silicon Valley. The goal is clear: to bridge the hardware gap with superior software and human capital. Companies like MiniMax are also joining the fray, signaling a broad industry push.

"Talent is the new oil," says tech recruiter Sarah Chen. "Hardware can be sanctioned, but knowledge is harder to contain. Chinese firms are willing to pay a premium for experience with large language models and advanced chip architecture."

This recruitment drive faces hurdles, however. US regulations are tightening around the transfer of sensitive technology know-how, and many engineers are wary of the long-term career implications of working for Chinese entities in the current political climate.

The move underscores the desperation and determination of China’s tech sector. Unable to access the most advanced chips due to US bans, they are betting that human ingenuity can find workarounds and innovative leaps to keep them in the global AI race.