Xiaomi Bets Big on AI Talent Amid AGI Race

In a bold move that's shaking up China's tech talent market, smartphone giant Xiaomi has successfully recruited Luo Fuli, a founding team member of prominent AI firm DeepSeek. Industry sources reveal the compensation package reaches millions annually - a clear statement about how seriously Xiaomi takes its artificial intelligence ambitions.

Founder-Led Talent Hunt

The recruitment came through Xiaomi's "top talent" initiative spearheaded personally by founder Lei Jun. Known for his hands-on leadership style, Lei reportedly expressed dissatisfaction with the company's progress in large language models despite open-sourcing its MiMo model earlier this year.

"When Lei Jun wants something done faster, he doesn't just throw money at the problem - he goes straight for the people who can solve it," remarked a Beijing-based tech analyst familiar with Xiaomi's strategy.

Luo brings more than just technical expertise. Her experience building AI teams from scratch and consistent academic output made her particularly valuable as Xiaomi looks to close the gap with rivals like Huawei and Baidu.

Academia Meets Industry

The effects of Luo's arrival are already visible. A recent arXiv paper co-authored by researchers from Xiaomi and Peking University showcases early fruits of this industry-academia collaboration. As corresponding author, Luo helped demonstrate advancements in model architecture and reasoning optimization - areas critical for developing more capable AI systems.

This partnership reflects a growing trend among Chinese tech firms to integrate academic research directly into product development cycles. For Xiaomi, it provides much-needed theoretical heft behind its MiMo model.

Beyond Chatbots: AGI Vision Takes Shape

Luo hinted at broader ambitions in a social media post: "Intelligence will eventually move from language to the physical world." This aligns perfectly with Xiaomi's "full ecosystem" strategy encompassing smartphones, electric vehicles, and smart home devices.

The MiMo model appears destined to evolve beyond smartphone assistants into what company insiders describe as a "general intelligent hub" coordinating interactions across Xiaomi's product universe. Imagine your car adjusting cabin temperature based on your calendar schedule while your robot vacuum prepares for guests - all orchestrated by MiMo.

Key Points:

• Premium Talent Acquisition: Seven-figure salary demonstrates Xiaomi's commitment to competing in top-tier AI development
• Academic Acceleration: Immediate research output through Peking University collaboration
• Physical-World AI: Strategic shift from pure language models toward embodied intelligence applications
• Ecosystem Play: MiMo positioned as central intelligence layer across Xiaomi products