Core Viewpoint - The quantitative investment industry is facing a talent shortage and a potential crisis as AI technology increasingly replaces the roles of quantitative researchers [3][9][27]. Group 1: Talent Shortage and Recruitment - The current quantitative investment industry is experiencing a shortage of composite talents who possess skills in data engineering, high-performance computing, and quantitative strategy development [3][17]. - There is a significant disparity in the talent market, where top-tier quantitative talents are in high demand, leading to competitive salaries and benefits offered by firms [7][16]. - Many quantitative private equity firms are actively recruiting senior quantitative researchers, indicating a fierce competition for talent [4][6][12]. Group 2: Impact of AI on Quantitative Research - AI is revolutionizing the development of quantitative strategies, reducing the need for human involvement in certain tasks [8][20]. - The integration of AI technologies allows for more efficient strategy development and testing, enabling quantitative researchers to focus on creating new strategies [21][22]. - Despite the benefits of AI, many quantitative researchers express concerns about job security as AI continues to demonstrate its capabilities in generating successful trading strategies [24][25]. Group 3: Performance Metrics and Market Trends - As of mid-2023, 51 private equity firms reported an average return of 10.87%, with quantitative private equity firms outperforming traditional strategies [13]. - Quantitative long strategies achieved an average return of 15.42%, surpassing the average return of 10% for traditional stock strategies [14]. - The performance of AI-generated strategies in real trading scenarios has been noted to exceed that of strategies developed by human researchers, raising concerns about the future role of quantitative researchers [24].