China overtakes US as top workplace for elite AI researchers, hiring 41% vs 34%

pstAsiatech · x · 2026-09-26

A study by think tank Carnegie China finds China has overtaken the US as the leading workplace for top-tier AI researchers: China employed 41% of the world's leading AI researchers tracked last year, ahead of the US at 34% — a reversal from 2022, when the US led 46% to 27%.

The report attributes the shift to a growing number of elite researchers opting to build careers at home, driven by a booming domestic AI industry and tighter US visa restrictions, making Silicon Valley less unrivalled for top AI talent.

Related event: Carnegie Report: China Overtakes US in Top AI Talent(2 posts)→

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