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The writer is director of the European Legal Studies Center at Columbia Law School and author of ‘Digital Empires: The Global Battle to Regulate Technology’
The contest over technological supremacy in the age of artificial intelligence is intensifying as tech companies and governments race to seize opportunities presented by the AI revolution. The outcome of this contest depends on many variables, but often overlooked is the fact that no country will win the AI race without cultivating the human talent that is central to innovations in the field.
The US today retains an edge over China across several metrics in the fight for talent in the technology. It leads in foundational research, being home to 13 out of 15 leading AI research institutions. The US also produces the most AI unicorns — start-up businesses valued at more than $1bn. At the same time, China is investing heavily in developing AI, and already leads in related patent applications and journal citations globally.
However, the US retains a unique advantage in its ability to attract talent that is all but impossible for other countries to replicate. Immigration has always been a powerful force in amplifying America’s talent base, especially in the tech sector.
Though China can draw on its vast domestic talent pool, the US benefits from being the preferred destination for AI researchers from around the world. About half of the master’s and doctorate degrees in Stem fields issued by US universities are earned by foreign students, many of whom remain in the country after graduating. A recent study also shows that while 60 per cent of the world’s top AI researchers work in US institutions, 29 per cent of those individuals had received their undergraduate degree in China, 20 per cent in the US and 18 per cent in Europe. This suggests that the world’s leading AI researchers are migrating to the US to study and work, rather than the other way around.
Given how much Chinese immigration contributes to the US talent pool, it was startling that as president, Donald Trump in 2018 launched a “China Initiative” that facilitated the prosecution of individuals suspected of having engaged in economic espionage. In practice, the initiative largely targeted Chinese-born researchers at US universities. While Joe Biden subsequently abandoned the initiative, some Republican lawmakers have proposed that it be reinstated.
Various European governments are also reassessing their willingness to admit Chinese students in fields that involve sensitive technologies. The Dutch government, for instance, is considering legislation aimed at protecting the country from foreign espionage, including mitigating the perceived risks associated with Chinese postgraduate students gaining access to critical technology and knowhow. Meanwhile, the UK’s domestic intelligence agency MI5 recently warned of the “epic scale” of Chinese espionage, which includes stealing sensitive technology from European universities and companies.
Of course, well-founded allegations of espionage need to be investigated and acted upon. But blanket curbs on Chinese students and researchers at European and American universities would risk undermining the ability to attract the talent that is critical to success in the AI race. Even as the US and EU rush towards greater decoupling or “de-risking” of their tech ecosystems from China, they should consider whether they really want to decouple the supply of human capital too. Policies such as the China Initiative are misguided and self-defeating.
In Europe as well, any national security concerns over Chinese espionage, however legitimate, should be balanced against the EU’s pressing need to cultivate technological innovation and nurture successful AI companies. Neither will emerge from industrial subsidies and restrictive trade and technology policies alone. Universities remain the most effective gateway for foreign AI talent to enter Europe, especially if governments proactively facilitate those students’ ability to stay and establish careers and personal networks after graduation.
The US and EU both need to attract the world’s best talent in order to succeed in the AI race. While the US pursues export controls and investment restrictions, it should not lose sight of how much its technological leadership relies on foreign talent, including those born in China. And the EU’s efforts to pursue greater technological “sovereignty” should also focus on genuine investment in Europe’s digital capabilities, which have historically lagged behind those of its global rivals. There is much that will need to be done to build those capabilities across multiple dimensions. But a concerted effort to attract and retain global talent is an obvious place to start.
