@a7 @shibao @sun competent in ML is questionable as skill at best if not on the edge of research, everything else is pretty much consumption of premade models using premade software. "$language" isn't really a selling point except for legacy maintenance. don't know about the guy in question though, maybe he's really got a unique skillset but it's too fringe in this area.
i agree that the area is full of incompetent people who are good at faking competence. most people i met love ultra complex framework systems and can't think without them.