The global race for artificial intelligence (AI) supremacy is intensifying, and India is well-positioned to assert its influence by nationalizing its AI and tech talent. This move is especially significant given the challenges that the United States faces in acquiring and retaining foreign-born professionals, particularly in political climates where immigration policies are subject to greater scrutiny. The reality is that the US AI sector owes much of its ascendancy to the contributions of immigrants — a fact evidenced by statistics. More than half of leading AI companies in the United States were founded or co-founded by immigrants or their children; Indian nationals, in particular, have played a major role, with around 65 percent of top US AI companies tracing some leadership to the Indian diaspora, while in academia, 70 percent of full-time graduate students in AI-related fields are international. These figures underscore a level of dependence that could become a strategic liability, should restrictive visa programs and domestic political tensions deter future talent inflows.
From Brain Drain to Brain Gain: How India Can Outflank the US in AI (S. Yash Kalash, Centre for International Governance Innovation)
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