How early FDE workers are surviving a chaotic AI deployment market
AIChinese tech outlet Leiphone reports that forward-deployed engineers (FDEs) doing AI deployment work face unclear pricing, scope creep, and unclear roles inside consulting firms. One sales lead cut a planned million-yuan AI forecasting project to a 100,000-yuan deal, and one FDE reports a bid of 8 million yuan for a supply-chain project that he estimates would normally cost 400,000 to 600,000 yuan.