Earlier this month, the AI Act, the world's first major legislation to regulate artificial intelligence, was passed by the European Union. The AI Act includes provisions that prohibit employers from using AI to analyze worker emotions, mandates labeling of certain AI-generated images and audio as computer-generated, and requires safety testing for high-risk AI systems. While the EU faced challenges in passing these rules, the greater hurdle lies in finding individuals who will enforce the regulations and prevent the nightmare scenarios often associated with AI. To address this, the newly established European AI Office organized a virtual after-work event to attract tech talent and fill numerous technical positions in the coming months. The target candidates for these positions include computer scientists, software and data engineers, and hardware experts. They will play a crucial role in testing the fairness and mitigating the risks associated with cutting-edge AI systems, such as bias or the creation of biological weapons. During the webinar, there were a few technical difficulties, resulting in intermittent freezing. While glitches can occur in any online event, it was notably less common during OpenAI's hiring presentation. Gerard de Graaf, senior EU digital envoy to the U. S. , downplayed the significance of these glitches, attributing them to possible oversubscription or issues with the video conferencing platform. De Graaf emphasized that the perception of governments' limited technological expertise is not a major hindrance for Europe. Instead, the primary challenge in recruiting top talent lies in competing with the lucrative offers from AI companies in Silicon Valley. The salary range for junior-level EU technologists with a master's degree typically starts from $65, 000 to $80, 000, whereas companies like Google and Meta can offer significantly higher compensation. De Graaf acknowledges the salary disparity but appeals more to the aspirational goals and societal impact that working with the EU AI safety office can offer. Given the relatively young age of generative AI, there is currently a limited pool of talent that regulatory offices can draw from.

Jack Clark, co-founder of AI research company Anthropic and member of the National AI Advisory Committee, believes it will take a few more years to witness a surplus of skilled individuals in this field. Clark also notes that many AI safety roles do not necessarily require a Ph. D. in computer science or math. Instead, they require the ability to devise tests or prompts that challenge AI systems to perform tasks they are not intended for, such as creating a biological weapon. While technical expertise is essential, the public sector should also consider recruiting social scientists, such as economists and anthropologists, to oversee the regulation and governance of AI. These individuals bring a broader perspective that goes beyond technical aspects and includes understanding human behavior and societal impact, as stated by Brandie Nonnecke from the University of California, Berkeley, Goldman School of Public Policy.