Tech hiring evolves as candidates ask for AI compute alongside pay and perks

Tech job candidates at AI companies like OpenAI are now asking about access to artificial intelligence compute power during interviews, treating GPU and inference capacity as personal working capital alongside salary negotiations. This reflects how compute scarcity creates productivity hierarchies within organizations, where teams with better AI access ship products faster than those waiting in queues. Investors predict engineers will soon negotiate "token budgets" as a fourth pillar of compensation, with senior engineers potentially requiring $100,000 annually in AI usage costs.