Reports: US losing edge in AI talent pool

The US risks losing its edge as the best place in the world to work in tech, according to new reports. Top minds and big money are mobile, while the White House cuts federal science funding and discourages immigration.

China’s ascendency has played a role. A recent paper from the Hoover Institution, a policy think tank, flags that some of the industry’s most exciting recent advancements — namely DeepSeek — were built by Chinese researchers who stayed put. In fact, more than half of the researchers listed on DeepSeek’s papers never left China for school or work — evidence that the country doesn’t need Western influence to develop some of the smartest AI minds, the report says.

Meanwhile, London is becoming the epicenter for AI safety, boosted by the presence of Google DeepMind. Europe and the Gulf States are doubling down on their talent retention efforts as countries like the UAE and Saudi Arabia build out their AI infrastructure and energy sector to support AI, according to Zeki, which provides data on AI talent. India, traditionally an exporter of top tech talent, is gradually becoming a consumer of it as the country bolsters its national tech sector and emigration to the US becomes more difficult.