Yingyi Ma Quoted in New York Times Article on the US-China Race to Recruit Foreign AI Researchers
October 6, 2026
The New York Times
Despite offering new visas and research grants, China is struggling to attract foreign AI researchers: a Carnegie Endowment study found that for every 30 Chinese researchers working on AI in the U.S. in 2025, only one made the move in the opposite direction.
The study also found that China is increasingly retaining its own talent, with Chinese institutions and researchers growing their share of top AI conference output, while the U.S. maintains its lead by employing researchers from abroad.
“There is a delay effect—the researchers in this study mostly made their decisions years ago to study or work here,” says Yingyi Ma, professor of sociology. “The danger for the U.S. is a slow erosion of its appeal to attract talent that compounds over decades. By the time the effect shows up in the data, it is hard to reverse.”
Read more in the New York Times article, “In Race With U.S., China Struggles to Recruit Foreign A.I. Researchers.”
Related News
Media Coverage
Oct 13, 2026
Research
Oct 12, 2026
