Key Facts
- ✓ Anthropic offers a weekly stipend of $3,850 to AI Safety Fellows.
- ✓ OpenAI Residency participants receive $18,300 per month.
- ✓ Meta invested $14.3 billion in Scale AI in June.
- ✓ Google's Student Researcher Program pays between $113,000 and $150,000 annually.
- ✓ Meta internships pay between $7,650 and $12,000 per month.
Quick Summary
The race to develop artificial intelligence has triggered a compensation surge for entry-level roles. Major tech firms are now offering stipends and salaries for interns and fellows that exceed standard industry rates. OpenAI, Anthropic, Meta, and Google DeepMind are actively recruiting new talent through specialized programs.
These short-term positions often pay between $7,650 and $18,300 per month. The competition mirrors the aggressive hiring strategies used for senior researchers, including massive signing bonuses and acquisitions. The focus is on securing the next generation of AI researchers through fellowships and residencies.
The Broader Talent War
Competition for established AI researchers has driven spending into the billions. In June, Meta invested $14.3 billion in Scale AI, a move widely viewed as an acquihire of CEO Alexandr Wang. Google acquired top talent from Windsurf for $2.4 billion.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman stated that Meta attempted to lure employees with $100 million signing bonuses. Meta Chief Technology Officer Andrew Bosworth noted that OpenAI matched these offers. Even at smaller startups, AI leaders can command base pay between $300,000 and $400,000.
"Meta tried to lure employees away with $100 million signing bonuses."
— Sam Altman, OpenAI CEO
Anthropic and OpenAI Programs
Anthropic offers the AI Safety Fellows Program, a four-month, full-time research fellowship designed to accelerate AI safety research. Participants receive mentorship from researchers including Jan Leike, Sam Bowman, and Sara Price. The program provides a weekly stipend of $3,850 plus $15,000 monthly for compute funding. Applications for the May and July 2026 cohorts close on January 12, 2026.
OpenAI runs a six-month Residency program where participants work full-time alongside research teams. Residents receive $18,300 per month and are based in San Francisco. The program requires strong programming skills and advanced mathematics knowledge. Interviews are expected to begin in January 2026.
Google and Meta Internships
Google accepts applications for its Student Researcher Program on a rolling basis until July 17. The program targets U.S.-based Ph.D. students in computer science. Participants work on exploratory projects across Google DeepMind and Google Research. The position pays a base salary between $113,000 and $150,000 depending on location and experience.
Meta offers research internships lasting 12 to 24 weeks with compensation ranging from $7,650 to over $12,000 per month. Focus areas include neural rendering and natural language processing. Meta also hosts visiting Ph.D. students from institutions like Carnegie Mellon and UC Berkeley. The 2026-2027 cohort applications close on January 9.
"OpenAI later matched."
— Andrew Bosworth, Meta CTO
