I also quit my Ph.D. almost 8 years ago. Honestly, I just don't think academia is keeping up with the pace of development outside of academia. Unlike other fields, computer science has a huge technological driver, which is computer technology itself. This causes computer science to lag behind reality. Sure, other fields have mild progress, but the progress in computer technology is astronomical in comparison. There really is no comparison. In some sense, computer science has subsumed all other fields. But academia has not recognized this fact yet. So, indeed, this means academia is no longer as necessary as it once was. Most growth will be found in free market capitalism and intelligent computer science students recognize this. I'll tell you what, there is no business in the WORLD that gives an iota that you haven't done a dissertation in computer science. They don't care. The only people that care are people IN academia. So, if you have no intention of teaching, then dropping out right before dissertation is perfect.
All the best! I am also working at a startup while finishing my PhD currently! I kind of not focused on paper churning, went to read up on multiple disciplines and I never regretted that (at the cost of delaying PhD). Still trying to fulfil my life goal of creating fast and adaptable agents, with or without PhD!
I also quitted my PhD in AI, a few years ago. For different reasons, but I can relate to the good and less good sides of such decision. All the best with your start-up and channel!
Thank you Jean-Philippe! Would love to hear about your personal reasons if you are open to sharing them! P.s. based on your name: glad to e-meet another Québécois! 😁
Awesome!! It's thrilled my mind as it matches whit what I was having in my mind for a long time. I'll follow it and look for what would be the one that I find that I can enjoy with.
I congratulate you for sharing your experience, I think I watched your video at the right time, and it gave me a lot of insight. Personally, I wanted to apply to study PHD in the same place, it is in Daejon, right? I would like to ask you, how long is the approximate minimum time it takes for a PHD student in AI to graduate? Or in any case, what is also the average time it takes a student to graduate?
@@WhatsAI the reason i quit , nobody grows with salary that's just for saving the day. BUT if i could manufacture something i could earn more money, more inner peace and have joy to do whatever i made. Those would make me happier. Yes it's hard. Yes I'm working 7/24 (it's 6am here and I'm still working) but i do enjoy what i do.
I would like to know if it is possible, could you tell us if, in the case of your lab, within the first year there were conferences outside Korea, if the PHD courses were really in English, and if you think there was flexibility in requesting permission, for example to to be able to participate in AI competitions in another city like Seoul. Thanks in advance for your response.
I think for you it was the right descision. It's almost to the point you should prove the reason to get a PHD as opposed to creating a startup is the way to go about things. Four years is an eternity right now, and there are so many resources to help with the learning, even using the LLM's themselves to guide us on what we need to be utilizing.
Completely agree! Plus, I feel like research conferences need a big change. It makes no sense to submit a paper and present it/talk about it 8 months later. It is already obsolete for most of them…
I relate to what you said about doing a lot but not enough, I was working full time while doing my PhD part time, at the end I quitted from that. I still want a PhD, but now I don't know if I should quit my full time job to do research... I do love the topic I'd be working on (also related to AI) but I'm already being given opportunities in the industry to that path... So confusing and difficult. You never know what is really "the best" choice in life.
Definitely impossible to know! I assume the best choice is what you feel makes most sense considering current circumstances (not what could happen), and following your guts / what you want to do.
Congrats! Are you on leave or mastered out or actually permanently quit? I'm curious if there are options to come back after a few years if a startup doesn't go as expected. Of course, it would depend on the school regulation and your doctoral adviser, but still...
Oh my end I already had a masters degree and I decided to completely quit but I believe I could’ve taken some sort of sabbatical break. I am pretty sure I didn’t want to go back anytime soon so looking into all the administrative details for that wasn’t worth it! I think in my case I could go back in the future but it definitely depends on the university and prof !
Hai, is doing Masters in AI and Robotics in UK is valuable as in US for Both Academics and Job opportunities.. what do you think sir, I'd like to hear your thoughts. Thank you!
Haha - did also quit my phd and didn’t regret ! Racing towards publications and citations was not for me, with limited support to translate my work into a business as I wanted to - all the best for your next move !
@zenusb I felt the same way! Really glad to see your comment! I’m already quite confident I made the right move, feeling much better since this decision, but your message is still helping prove this further! 😊 Thank you!
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I also quit my Ph.D. almost 8 years ago. Honestly, I just don't think academia is keeping up with the pace of development outside of academia. Unlike other fields, computer science has a huge technological driver, which is computer technology itself. This causes computer science to lag behind reality. Sure, other fields have mild progress, but the progress in computer technology is astronomical in comparison. There really is no comparison. In some sense, computer science has subsumed all other fields. But academia has not recognized this fact yet.
So, indeed, this means academia is no longer as necessary as it once was. Most growth will be found in free market capitalism and intelligent computer science students recognize this. I'll tell you what, there is no business in the WORLD that gives an iota that you haven't done a dissertation in computer science. They don't care. The only people that care are people IN academia. So, if you have no intention of teaching, then dropping out right before dissertation is perfect.
All the best! I am also working at a startup while finishing my PhD currently! I kind of not focused on paper churning, went to read up on multiple disciplines and I never regretted that (at the cost of delaying PhD). Still trying to fulfil my life goal of creating fast and adaptable agents, with or without PhD!
You are surely making the right move here IMO! Glad you are following your interests and goal as well! :)
I wish you all the best!
I also quitted my PhD in AI, a few years ago. For different reasons, but I can relate to the good and less good sides of such decision. All the best with your start-up and channel!
Thank you Jean-Philippe! Would love to hear about your personal reasons if you are open to sharing them!
P.s. based on your name: glad to e-meet another Québécois! 😁
Awesome!! It's thrilled my mind as it matches whit what I was having in my mind for a long time. I'll follow it and look for what would be the one that I find that I can enjoy with.
Are you starting a PhD or going to start one? :)
I congratulate you for sharing your experience, I think I watched your video at the right time, and it gave me a lot of insight. Personally, I wanted to apply to study PHD in the same place, it is in Daejon, right? I would like to ask you, how long is the approximate minimum time it takes for a PHD student in AI to graduate? Or in any case, what is also the average time it takes a student to graduate?
I left university at the last year. Started my business 8 years ago. Best decision i made
really glad to hear that! Congrats on taking this decision years ago! :)
@@WhatsAI the reason i quit , nobody grows with salary that's just for saving the day. BUT if i could manufacture something i could earn more money, more inner peace and have joy to do whatever i made. Those would make me happier. Yes it's hard. Yes I'm working 7/24 (it's 6am here and I'm still working) but i do enjoy what i do.
I would like to know if it is possible, could you tell us if, in the case of your lab, within the first year there were conferences outside Korea, if the PHD courses were really in English, and if you think there was flexibility in requesting permission, for example to to be able to participate in AI competitions in another city like Seoul. Thanks in advance for your response.
Hi, my PhD was in Montreal, Canada at Mila so I cannot really answer those questions unfortunately!
I think for you it was the right descision. It's almost to the point you should prove the reason to get a PHD as opposed to creating a startup is the way to go about things. Four years is an eternity right now, and there are so many resources to help with the learning, even using the LLM's themselves to guide us on what we need to be utilizing.
Completely agree!
Plus, I feel like research conferences need a big change. It makes no sense to submit a paper and present it/talk about it 8 months later. It is already obsolete for most of them…
I relate to what you said about doing a lot but not enough, I was working full time while doing my PhD part time, at the end I quitted from that. I still want a PhD, but now I don't know if I should quit my full time job to do research... I do love the topic I'd be working on (also related to AI) but I'm already being given opportunities in the industry to that path... So confusing and difficult. You never know what is really "the best" choice in life.
Definitely impossible to know! I assume the best choice is what you feel makes most sense considering current circumstances (not what could happen), and following your guts / what you want to do.
PhD is about research but it is always good to follow your paths.
Agreed Abderrahim!
Congrats! Are you on leave or mastered out or actually permanently quit? I'm curious if there are options to come back after a few years if a startup doesn't go as expected. Of course, it would depend on the school regulation and your doctoral adviser, but still...
Oh my end I already had a masters degree and I decided to completely quit but I believe I could’ve taken some sort of sabbatical break. I am pretty sure I didn’t want to go back anytime soon so looking into all the administrative details for that wasn’t worth it!
I think in my case I could go back in the future but it definitely depends on the university and prof !
Hai, is doing Masters in AI and Robotics in UK is valuable as in US for Both Academics and Job opportunities.. what do you think sir, I'd like to hear your thoughts. Thank you!
First
That was fast! ;)
Haha - did also quit my phd and didn’t regret ! Racing towards publications and citations was not for me, with limited support to translate my work into a business as I wanted to - all the best for your next move !
@zenusb I felt the same way! Really glad to see your comment! I’m already quite confident I made the right move, feeling much better since this decision, but your message is still helping prove this further! 😊 Thank you!