Talent is core to U.S. competitiveness in artificial intelligence, and international graduate students are a large source of AI talent for the United States. More than half of the AI workforce in the United States was born abroad, as were around two-thirds of current graduate students in AI-related fields. Tens of thousands of international students get AI-related degrees at U.S. universities every year. Retaining them, and ensuring a steady future talent inflow, is among the most important things the United States can do to address persistent domestic AI work-force shortages and to remain the global leader in AI.

… The good news is that student retention has historically been a core U.S. strength, with well over 80 percent of international U.S.-trained AI PhDs staying in the country, including those from AI competitors such as China.

…The bad news is that two trends are placing this U.S. strength in student retention at risk. Read More