June 28, 2023
A study from the National Foundation for American Policy has found that immigrants have played a large part in founding AI companies and studying in AI fields in the United States.
The study, which was shared exclusively with Axios, found that 65% of the top 43 AI companies in the U.S. were founded or co-founded by immigrants. Additionally, 70% of full-time graduate students in fields related to AI are international students.
The study’s author, Stuart Anderson, said that immigrants play a “crucial role” in AI development. He added that “the variety of AI-focused businesses founded by immigrants shows how artificial intelligence will likely benefit many Americans.”
The study also found that 42% of top U.S.-based AI companies have a founder who studied in the U.S. as an international student. This suggests that the U.S. education system is playing a role in attracting and training AI talent from around the world.
According to the report, the United States can stay ahead in AI by encouraging immigrants and overseas students interested in AI. Notably, prominent IT corporations Microsoft and Google are led by Indian immigrants, demonstrating immigrants’ significant contribution to AI development.
The sources for this piece include an article in Axios.
