-89%

AI researchers relocating to the United States since 2017 — down 80% in the last year alone

The number of AI scholars moving to the United States has dropped 89% since 2017, and the decline is accelerating — down 80% in the last year alone, according to Stanford HAI's 2026 AI Index. The US still leads in top-tier AI models and higher-impact patents, but the talent pipeline that underpins that lead has nearly reversed direction.