# China becomes top destination for elite AI talent in 2025

Digest AI · Society & Work · published 2026-09-23T12:05:00Z

Canonical: https://digestai.news/story/china-becomes-top-destination-for-elite-ai-talent-in-2025

## Summary

A Carnegie China report cited by The Information shows that China overtook the United States as the leading destination for elite artificial‑intelligence researchers in 2025. The share of top AI talent based in China rose from 27.1 % in 2022 to 40.6 % in 2025, while the United States fell from 46.4 % to 34.2 % over the same period. The data suggest a growing preference among high‑skill AI scientists to remain in or return to China rather than move abroad.

The shift reflects broader factors such as increased research funding, expanding AI ecosystems, and policy incentives in China, according to the report. Analysts note that the trend could reshape global AI competition, talent pipelines, and the geographic distribution of cutting‑edge AI work. No comment was provided by U.S. agencies or Chinese officials in the article.

## Key points

- China's share of elite AI talent grew from 27.1 % (2022) to 40.6 % (2025)
- U.S. share of elite AI talent dropped from 46.4 % to 34.2 % in the same period
- Carnegie China report says researchers are increasingly staying in China

## Why it matters

The talent shift could alter where breakthrough AI research occurs, influencing global competition, investment flows, and the future workforce landscape.

## Sources

1. [Carnegie China: China passed the US as the top destination for elite AI talent in 2025, rising from 2022's 27.1% share to 40.6%; the US fell from 46.4% to 34.2%](https://theinformation.com/briefings/china-leads-u-s-top-ai-talent-study-finds) (theinformation.com, 2026-09-23)

## Cite

Digest AI, "China becomes top destination for elite AI talent in 2025", 23 September 2026, https://digestai.news/story/china-becomes-top-destination-for-elite-ai-talent-in-2025

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