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While Uber Technologies Inc. and Carnegie Mellon University announced a partnership to develop autonomous car technology in February, Uber's actions earlier in the year have left Carnegie Mellon's robotics research in jeopardy:
Carnegie Mellon University is scrambling to recover after Uber Technologies Inc. poached at least 40 of its researchers and scientists earlier this year, a raid that has left one of the world's top robotics research institutions in a crisis.
Uber envisions autonomous cars that could someday replace its tens of thousands of contract drivers. With virtually no in-house capability, the San Francisco company went to the one place in the world with enough talent to build a team instantly: Carnegie Mellon's National Robotics Engineering Center.
Flush with cash after raising more than $5 billion from investors, Uber offered some scientists bonuses of hundreds of thousands of dollars and a doubling of salaries to staff the company's new tech center in Pittsburgh, according to one researcher at NREC.
The hiring spree in January and February set off alarm bells. Facing a massive drain of talent and cash, Herman Herman, the newly elevated director of the NREC, made a presentation May 6 to staff to explain the situation and seek ideas on how to stabilize the center, according to documents reviewed by The Wall Street Journal.
The short presentation at the school here laid out the issues. In all, Uber took six principal investigators and 34 engineers. The talent included NREC's director, Tony Stentz, and most of the key program directors. Before Uber's recruiting, NREC had more than 100 engineers and scientists developing technology for companies and the U.S. military.
Original Submission
(Score: 3, Funny) by rts008 on Tuesday June 02 2015, @01:32AM
How do you prepare the scientists for poaching?
How are they served, and what sauces/side dishes go best with them?
What type of scientists are best for poaching?
And most importantly, which wine should accompany the poached scientist?
So many questions...
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday June 03 2015, @12:52AM
* How do you prepare the scientists for poaching?
Butter them up by offering higher pay! (unspoken, in exchange for their soul).
* How are they served, and what sauces/side dishes go best with them?
With a contract that includes secrecy and non-compete agreements, as well as rights to any patents.
* What type of scientists are best for poaching?
The ones that have already solved the problems the company is looking to commercialize.
* And most importantly, which wine should accompany the poached scientist?
That will come from the university or other former employer...