Core Insights - Guangxuan Xiao, a PhD graduate from MIT, has officially joined Thinking Machines to focus on pre-training large models [1][6][10] - His academic background includes dual degrees from Tsinghua University in Computer Science and Finance, along with numerous awards and research experiences [6][8][10] Group 1: Academic and Professional Background - Guangxuan Xiao graduated from Tsinghua University with dual degrees in Computer Science and Finance, receiving multiple prestigious awards during his studies [6][8] - He completed his PhD at MIT under the supervision of Professor Song Han, focusing on efficient algorithms and systems for large language models [10][18] - Xiao has interned at major tech companies, including Meta and NVIDIA, where he contributed to research on efficient attention mechanisms and large language model optimization [10][12][18] Group 2: Research Contributions - Xiao's doctoral thesis addresses significant challenges in large language models, proposing solutions for issues like memory overflow and slow inference [18][19] - His research introduced SmoothQuant, achieving lossless quantization for billion-parameter models without retraining, and enabling constant memory streaming inference for long sequences [19][20] - The thesis also includes innovative approaches like DuoAttention and XAttention, which enhance performance while reducing memory usage [19][20] Group 3: Company Insights - Thinking Machines offers competitive salaries, with average base salaries reaching $500,000, significantly higher than those at established companies like OpenAI and Anthropic [21][25] - The company is positioned to attract top talent in the AI field, reflecting the ongoing talent war in Silicon Valley [21][28]

Core Viewpoint - The annual Tsinghua University Special Scholarship for undergraduates has revealed a strong focus on AI and robotics, with nearly half of the top candidates working on embodied intelligence projects [5][37]. Group 1: Candidates and Their Achievements - The top candidates for this year's scholarship include students from various departments, with a notable emphasis on AI and robotics [1][5]. - Li Yitang from the Interdisciplinary Information Institute is recognized for her work on humanoid robots, specifically in achieving complex body movements with minimal data [8][12]. - Chen Boyuan, a candidate from Xingjian College, has made significant contributions across various AI and robotics fields, including 3D scene reconstruction and tactile-visual integration [14][19]. - Xu Ruyi has focused on efficient AI model deployment on limited computing power, achieving a 13.5 times speed increase in a key mechanism [22][25]. Group 2: Structural Changes in Tsinghua University - Tsinghua University has undergone a strategic shift in its academic structure, establishing an Artificial Intelligence College aimed at fostering innovation and talent in AI [37][39]. - The undergraduate enrollment has increased by 150 students, with a focus on cultivating top talents in "AI + interdisciplinary" fields [39][40]. - This structural change has led to a natural inclination for students to engage in key areas such as large models, 3D understanding, robot control, and autonomous driving [39][40].