| 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. |