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China Has Struggled to Recruit Foreign AI Researchers

Despite government incentives, China faces challenges attracting international talent while U.S. recruitment grows.

Updated on Oct. 6, 2026 in Artificial Intelligence

Isometric editorial illustration of a silicon wafer and glass prism on a metallic surface, symbolizing global artificial intelligence research trends.
A Carnegie Endowment report indicates China faces persistent challenges in attracting foreign AI researchers, while the U.S. continues to absorb talent. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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A study by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace found that China struggles to recruit foreign artificial intelligence researchers. Meanwhile, the number of Chinese-origin researchers working in the United States has increased by four percentage points over the last three years.

Why it matters

While the United States remains a primary destination for talent due to academic funding and start-up opportunities, the appeal of U.S. research environments is expected to erode slowly over coming decades as domestic Chinese firms like DeepSeek and Moonshot expand.

Twelve of the top 30 institutions publishing at the 2025 NeurIPS conference were based in China, up from six in 2022. Additionally, for every 30 Chinese researchers currently working in the United States, only one researcher has migrated from the U.S. to China.

The players

Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

This is a non-partisan international affairs think tank that conducted the study on global artificial intelligence research migration.

Manus

This is an artificial intelligence start-up that was recently the subject of a proposed $2 billion acquisition by Meta.

The details

China has introduced special visas and research grants to attract foreign talent, but the nation faces hurdles in retaining its own innovators. The Chinese government notably prevented the founders of the artificial intelligence start-up Manus from leaving the country in 2026.

Timeline

  1. In 2022, six Chinese institutions were among the top 30 NeurIPS publishers.

  2. By 2025, twelve Chinese institutions were ranked among the top 30 NeurIPS publishers.

  3. In 2026, the Chinese government restricted Manus founders from departing the country.

The Tech Race

The shift in research publication dominance at the NeurIPS conference mirrors the intensifying competition between the United States and China to lead the next generation of artificial intelligence development. This trend tracks how national research outputs are increasingly tied to domestic start-up ecosystems rather than historical reliance on international talent mobility.

The ongoing competition for AI talent directly impacts the speed and accessibility of emerging technologies available to consumers. A concentration of research within specific national borders may influence which markets receive initial access to advanced AI models and proprietary software tools.

The takeaway

The shifting landscape of AI research suggests that human capital remains as vital to technological supremacy as raw computing power. Experts suggest that global collaboration may face further friction as nations prioritize domestic retention of key AI innovators.

Further reading

For more context on the global AI sector, visit our Artificial Intelligence section.

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Is the United States losing its ability to attract the world's best scientific talent?