Pros
* Non-academic, non-profit research lab
AI2 gives researchers a unique opportunity to lead research projects which they truly believe in. No need for writing a ton of grant proposals (unlike academic research). No need for a business justification (unlike industrial research). As a research scientist at AI2, you’re given a high degree of autonomy to execute your research agenda. Both high-impact research which contributes to long-term goals and useful software contributions towards short- and medium-term milestones are noted, appreciated and celebrated.
* Great location
AI2 is located on the northern shore of Lake Union in Seattle. There are many reasons to love this location: employees actually take the company’s kayak into the water during the work day (weather permitting), close to the downtown Seattle and the university district (but not too close so it is easy to find free street parking), moderate housing prices and cost of living (compared to NY and bay area), 0% income state tax, breathtaking nature (lakes, mountains, forests), …etc.
* Entrepreneurial ties
AI2 is a nonprofit startup which functions much like for-profit startups. This should come as no surprise given that both its founder (Paul Allen) and CEO (Oren Etzioni) are successful entrepreneurs. AI2 also hosts an incubator program which helped talented research-oriented entrepreneurs (e.g., Aria Haghighi and Xuchen Yao) start companies.
* Academic ties
As a researcher, I think it is important to maintain strong collaborations and connections with academia. To that end, AI2 hosts visiting scholars, collaborates with and funds professors and postdocs, and offers PhD summer internships. It has deep connections with several top-tier universities such as UW, CMU and UIUC. The physical proximity to the UW campus makes it easy for AI2 affiliates to participate in relevant events at UW and vice versa. The CEO of AI2 (Oren Etzioni) is also a professor in UW.
* Work environment
AI2’s biggest asset is its people. Having seen how hiring works from inside, I can confidently say that AI2 does not compromise on hiring. Before AI2 extends an offer, a large room full of critical people has to reach consensus that a candidate would be a valuable addition to the team. As a result, you get to work with capable team members who are among the best in what they do. There’s an evident collective desire to work with the latest technologies and stay relevant in a fast-evolving industry. Employees are genuinely friendly, courteous and quite helpful. It is common to take a bughouse chess break, a ping pong break, a workout break, a kayak break, …etc. Creative social activities are organized on a regular basis. I am truly grateful for the opportunity to work with my colleagues at AI2.
Competitive compensation
I didn’t really expect the overall compensation at a nonprofit like AI2 to match that of big corporates. However, I was pleasantly surprised that AI2’s offer was competitive with other offers from for-profit companies.
Cons
One thing which is less than ideal about AI2 is that it is not self-sustainable and is therefore dependent on receiving more philanthropic funds from Paul Allen. I don’t lose sleep over this because AI2 is modeled after the Allen Institute for Brain Sciences, which is a prestigious neuroscience research lab funded by Paul Allen since 2003. In addition, as long as one is producing high-quality work, I think it will be easy to find another job if need be.
