Tokens lure top AI talent

Enhancing output: Visitors gather at the booth of Qwen, Alibaba’s large language model, during a high-tech expo in Shanghai on March 15. Major tech players have introduced measures such as free token allocations or monthly subsidies to support employees’ development needs. — Photo: China Daily

A NEW idea gaining traction among global and Chinese tech companies is putting tokens – the smallest unit of data processed by artificial intelligence (AI) models – at the centre of compensation discussions, as firms seek to boost productivity in an AI-driven development era.

The concept suggests that, in addition to salaries, bonuses and equity, companies could allocate engineers a dedicated budget of AI tokens, which can be used to run AI agents, execute tasks and accelerate research and development (R&D).