Carnegie China Study: China Overtakes US as Top Workplace for Elite AI Researchers
This week, a report from Carnegie China revealed that China has overtaken the United States as the premier destination for elite artificial intelligence researchers. The study, titled "Who's ahead in the global AI talent race," indicates that last year, China employed 41 percent of the world’s top AI researchers, compared to 34 percent in the US. This marks a significant change from 2022, when the US led with 46 percent against China’s 27 percent. An increasing number of top AI talent in China prefer to develop their careers domestically instead of moving to Silicon Valley, which has lost its former allure. The report attributes this trend to a flourishing AI industry in China and stricter US visa policies. The findings, initially covered by the South China Morning Post, highlight the evolving landscape of AI expertise amid fierce technological rivalry between the two nations.
Key facts
- China employed 41 per cent of the world's leading AI researchers tracked by the study last year
- The US employed 34 per cent of those researchers, placing it second
- In 2022 the US led with 46 per cent compared with China's 27 per cent
- The study is titled "Who's ahead in the global AI talent race"
- It was released this week by the think tank Carnegie China
- China's growing share of top-tier talent is attributed to a booming domestic AI industry
- Tighter US visa restrictions are cited as a factor in the shift
- The findings were reported by the South China Morning Post
Entities
Institutions
- Carnegie China
- South China Morning Post
Locations
- China
- United States
- Silicon Valley