China Struggled to Attract Global AI Researchers
Despite domestic research growth, China faces persistent difficulty in recruiting international talent.
Updated on Oct. 6, 2026 in Artificial Intelligence
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A study from the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace shows that China is struggling to attract foreign artificial intelligence researchers. While Chinese institutions increased their share of top-tier publications, talent remains concentrated in the United States.
Why it matters
The United States remains the primary destination for AI talent due to robust academic funding and startup opportunities. This imbalance persists even as Chinese research output continues to scale rapidly.
For every 30 Chinese researchers in the United States, only one researcher has migrated from the U.S. to China. Furthermore, 12 of the top 30 institutions publishing at the 2025 NeurIPS conference were based in China, up from six in 2022.
The players
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
A global think tank that provides policy analysis and research on international affairs and technology trends.
DeepSeek
A Chinese artificial intelligence company focused on developing large-scale generative models and domestic research infrastructure.
Moonshot
A China-based AI firm specializing in large language model development and enterprise artificial intelligence applications.
Manus
An artificial intelligence startup that became a focal point of talent exit restrictions in 2026.
The details
The study tracked researcher migration by auditing where authors received their graduate degrees and where they currently hold professional positions. While China has introduced special visas and research grants to attract talent, the draw of domestic companies like DeepSeek and Moonshot has not yet reversed the flow of researchers toward the United States. In some instances, the government has moved to block talent exit, such as when authorities restricted the founders of AI startup Manus from leaving the country.
Timeline
2022: Six Chinese institutions ranked among the top 30 publishers at the NeurIPS conference.
2025: Twelve Chinese institutions ranked among the top 30 publishers at the NeurIPS conference.
2026: The Chinese government restricted the founders of Manus from leaving the country.
The Tech Race
The rise in Chinese institutions publishing at the NeurIPS conference highlights a massive surge in local research output. However, the data suggests this growth has not yet supplanted the United States as the primary hub for global AI talent mobility.
The global competition for research talent will likely influence which regions lead in future AI hardware and software standards. Professionals in the field should track long-term migration trends as a barometer for regional technical dominance.
The takeaway
The gap between high-volume research output and the actual migration of elite talent remains a defining feature of the global AI landscape. Observers should monitor whether Chinese incentives eventually succeed in reversing the 30-to-1 researcher migration ratio.
Further reading
For broader analysis on how research hubs are evolving, see our Artificial Intelligence section.
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