China Surpasses US in AI Talent Race

According to a newly published think tank study, China has overtaken the US in the race to attract top global artificial intelligence researchers. The country incorporated 41% of the world's leading AI researchers in 2025.

The Shift Revealed by the Research

A new study conducted by Carnegie China revealed that the balance in the global AI talent race has shifted in favor of China. Accordingly, while China employed 41% of the world's top AI researchers in 2025, US companies remained at 34% of this share.

It was stated that these rates experienced a dramatic reversal compared to 2022. In 2022, the US attracted 46% of top-tier researchers, while China held a 27% share in this field.

The Major Discrepancy in Undergraduate Education Data

The study also pointed out that the US is lagging further behind in producing the qualified human capital that fuels the AI race. It was determined that 57% of elite AI researchers received their undergraduate degrees from China in 2025.

In contrast, the proportion of elite researchers who obtained their undergraduate degrees from US universities was recorded at only 13%. In the 2022 data, the proportion of those who completed their undergraduate education in China was at the level of 11%.

Definition of Elite Researchers and State of the Industry

In the report, the category of elite AI researchers was formed by academics and engineers whose works were accepted by the prestigious NeurIPS conference. Chinese major AI companies such as DeepSeek and MoonShotAI stood out as one of the main drivers behind this trend.

As reported by the South China Morning Post, it was stated that these companies now offer salary packages that can compete with Silicon Valley. Industry experts warned that China's growth in this matter should force the US to make greater efforts in attracting the world's best talents.