As the United States and China intensify their competition for leadership in artificial intelligence (AI), a new study has found that China is struggling to attract foreign researchers even as it ramps up recruitment efforts through special visas, research grants and other incentives. A study, conducted by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace showed that Chinese researchers continue to gravitate towards the United States, underscoring America’s enduring appeal as a destination for top AI talent despite growing geopolitical tensions between the two countries. According to the research, for every 30 Chinese AI researchers working in the US in 2025, only one researcher made the reverse move from the United States to China. The findings suggest that Beijing’s efforts to internationalise its AI ecosystem have yielded limited success so far. The study’s lead author, Damien Ma, noted that the share of Chinese-origin researchers working in the United States actually increased compared with three years earlier, defying expectations that bilateral tensions and tighter immigration policies would significantly reduce talent flows. Researchers arrived at their conclusions by analysing papers accepted at NeurIPS, one of the world’s leading conferences focused on machine learning and computational neuroscience. The team examined where authors studied, received advanced degrees and ultimately chose to work. The findings reinforce the view that the United States and China remain the two dominant centres of frontier AI research. However, while China has struggled to attract foreign scientists, it has become increasingly successful at retaining domestic talent. More Chinese researchers educated within the country’s academic system are opting to build careers at home instead of seeking opportunities abroad. The United States, meanwhile, continues to benefit from its ability to attract highly skilled researchers from around the world, including China, India and South Korea. The study suggests that foreign-born scientists remain a critical source of strength for America’s AI leadership. Experts caution, however, that the effects of recent US visa restrictions and reductions in research funding may not yet be visible in the data.
Will China Lure Foreign AI Talent
