[TheOtherHobbes]

>Most likely because if you are doing ML and do not have a PhD (or previous experience), you are just looking at calling a library function that you do not understand.

I'm assuming that's your interpretation of the industry mindset, and not a view you personally hold.

IMO it's a naive assumption, and it would be trivial to test for it in an interview.

I have an interest in ML for a specific domain, no PhD, and it wouldn't cross my mind to try to use it as a set of shrink-wrapped library functions.