these options seem like practical alternatives to attending grad school. What are some reasons one would be opposed to this?
The only downside seems to be that they are difficult to get into.
Looking at the background of the current residents, I'd it looks more similar to a postdoctoral research position. Not sure whether it's intentional or a byproduct of the high degree of competition, but one likely needs Masters or PhD to get in.
But comparing these program with my current postdoc position (and grad school): The experience in these AI residency programs is probably more practical and less academic, and it probably pays more.
If you're a top-notch candidate coming out of college, I'd say why not try applying? You can always get a Masters degree and try applying again :)
Thanks! I wasn't aware of these and it's really helpful information for me.
I'll be honest and just say that it's actually incredibly discouraging to hear about things like this. I'll be interested to hear about the research but I don't care about the ivory tower.
Uber (https://eng.uber.com/uber-ai-residency/)
Google (https://research.google.com/teams/brain/residency/)
Facebook (https://research.fb.com/programs/facebook-ai-research-reside...)
Microsoft (https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/academic-program/mi...)