Chinese talent dominates AI labs and research

Back in May, when NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang said that “50% of the world’s AI researchers are of Chinese descent,” many viewed it as a diplomatic gesture toward the Chinese market. However, a recently released list of top researchers at Meta’s new Superintelligence Lab (MSL) suggests his remark was grounded in fact. Of the 44 elite scientists selected by Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg for the lab, 21 are Chinese nationals.

Their academic backgrounds are equally striking. Most earned undergraduate degrees from top Chinese institutions such as Tsinghua University, Peking University, Zhejiang University, and the University of Science and Technology of China, before pursuing advanced degrees at leading U.S. universities. Among them is Zhao Shengzi, a chief scientist at MSL whose photo was shared on Zuckerberg’s social media. A Tsinghua graduate with a Ph.D. from Stanford, Zhao played a key role in developing OpenAI’s GPT-4 and ChatGPT.

Another standout is Chang Huiwen, a Tsinghua computer science graduate who earned a Ph.D. in image processing from Princeton. After working at Google and OpenAI, she contributed to GPT-4o’s image generation. Bi Suchao, a math major from Zhejiang University with graduate degrees from UC Berkeley, co-founded YouTube Shorts while at Google. Their presence highlights China’s growing centrality in the global AI ecosystem.

AI talent continues to be cultivated within mainland China. Years of sustained government investment in AI education have yielded results. According to the U.S.-based think tank MacroPolo, Chinese researchers now account for 47 percent of the world’s top-tier AI scientists.

By contrast, South Korea faces what experts are calling an AI talent drought. A nationwide push toward medical school has crowded out advanced science education. Even when AI talent is nurtured, many researchers leave the country due to low pay and limited research infrastructure. A 2023 report from the Software Policy & Research Institute found that Korea faces a shortfall of 8,579 AI professionals.

Ultimately, the success of AI depends on people. This is why companies such as Meta and OpenAI offer multimillion-dollar salaries to recruit top talent. The Korean government has pledged support by providing access to GPUs and data sets, but without skilled researchers, such efforts may not yield meaningful results.

KAIST’s plan to launch a dedicated AI college next year is a promising step. But as KAIST President Lee Kwang-hyung has warned, this may be Korea’s golden hour to act. Without a clear national roadmap, the country risks falling behind while China shapes the future of AI.