Sunday, February 2, 2025

Researchers of Chinese Origin Dominate the World's Top AI Talent

Recent launch of DeepSeek AI model has brought to light the large and growing AI talent in China. The researchers working for the Chinese startup have shown that human creativity and problem-solving skills can overcome limitations such as access to high-performance hardware. It confirms that the most important resource needed for breakthroughs in AI is the human resource. 

The people of Chinese PRC origin account for 47% of the top 20% AI talent in the world based on undergraduate degree, according to a survey.  Americans make up 18%, Europeans 12% and Indians 5% of the global AI researchers. In terms of the countries they serve, 57% of them work in the United States, 12% in China, 8% in the UK, 4% each in France and Germany and 3% in Canada as of 2022. While the US still has the lion's share of the top talent, its share has declined from 65% in 2019 to 57% in 2022. Marco Polo talent tracker lists Pakistan among a dozen countries for top AI talent in Asia. 

Top Global AI Talent. Marco Polo AI Talent Tracker


More than half (15 out 25) of the institutions (companies and universities) where the top AI researchers work are located in the United States, while 6 are in China. The remaining four are in the UK, Switzerland, Singapore and Canada, according to Marco Polo Global AI Talent Tracker

Top AI Talent in Asia Pacific. Source: Marco Polo


The Chinese from PRC dominate the Asia Pacific region with 81.9% of the top AI talent. Indians account for 8.2%, South Korea 4% and "others" 5.8%.  "Others” include Taiwan, Australia, Vietnam, Singapore, Japan, Bangladesh, the Philippines, Malaysia, Pakistan, Mongolia, and Sri Lanka. 

The fact that a number of large language models, including Chinese DeepSeek and Meta's Llama 3, are open source will help develop more global AI talent and spur greater innovation around the world. In the end, it is much more likely that the open source offerings will see greater success than the closed source models like OpenAI's.  


21 comments:

Terry Andrade said...

If the Chinese are really so smart then Why are they sending all their students to study at U.S Universities ???
30% of the Total University Students in the USA Today are from Mainland China ……WHY ?
If We here in the USA were not as smart as the Chinese then we would be sending Our Students to China ……..
Has anyone been allowed to verify the DeepSeek
Hardware to confirm that they are really using H100 stripped down AI chips from Nvidia …… The CCP does not allow anyone to do that …… WHY ?
Food for thought ?

Muzaffar Khan said...

Marco Polo, the talent tracker, was unable to identify any significant percentage of Pakistani talent among the top AI talent in the world, despite our population being around 250 million. Even after 77 years of independence, we have not achieved any notable accomplishments.

Riaz Haq said...

MK: "Even after 77 years of independence, we have not achieved any notable accomplishments"

Rather than complain about it, I think we should try to fix it.

It’s important for each of us to do our part to help young Pakistanis achieve their potential in STEM and AI. Some of us in Silicon Valley are doing just that. Pakistani American entrepreneur Ashar Aziz’s foundation is sponsoring AI boot camps at NUST. Stanford educated AI expert Dr Shoaib Lari and tech executive Jalil Shaikh are helping establish AI programs at Pakistani universities and placing their top grads in US. Dr Zafar Shahid of icodeguru is organizing webinars on AI for Pakistani students. He’s also funding scholarships for Pakistani students to study in the US. There’s a fundraiser planned for this month in Silicon Valley to boost these programs.

https://www.riazhaq.com/2024/10/is-pakistan-getting-ready-for-ai.html

https://icode.guru/

Muzaffar Khan said...

I just read your detailed blog, and it has truly opened my eyes. I was unaware until today that Pakistan is also making significant progress in raising awareness within its technical institutes and universities. Even though we may not have as many resources as our adversaries' institutions, our compatriots are beginning to take full advantage of the available resources and applying them to their projects. As you highlighted in your blog, the data about Pakistan and other countries is impressive.

Rana said...

Shahbaz Rana
@81ShahbazRana
Islamabad's government primary schools are witnessing tech evolution, with primary school students showcasing exceptional talent in Artificial Intelligence and coding.

https://x.com/81ShahbazRana/status/1886469988279849041

Vineeth said...

I have little idea about AI and LLMs, but I wonder if the large number of spoken languages and dialects in India makes it a far greater challenge to develop native Indian LLMs here. Perhaps Pakistan can do well enough with Urdu-language LLMs alone, but here in India very few people outside the northern states speak or understand Hindi language, and as a result other linguistic communities exist inside worlds of their own which would make it necessary to develop more number or more complex native-language LLMs here.

In any case, I think China's spate of success in AI should serve as a "Sputnik moment" for India even more than US. It has become increasingly apparent over the years how China has been overcoming its obstacles and racing ahead with less talk and hype and more real work behind the scenes, while India has been doing precisely the opposite. Perhaps this is due to cultural differences, difference in political systems, or most likely both. There has been a general conservatism among Indians about their worldview and resistance to change which has been hindering development - perhaps a general character trait that is shared across the subcontinent. It should serve as a wakeup call to the Indian leadership that their delusions about supposed past glory and cultural superiority mean nothing in the modern world, and that a next door neighbour of equal population and an equal (or more) civilizational heritage to boast of, and whose economic condition was little better than India's not too long ago, has raced ahead to modernity and technological excellence while the self-proclaimed "Vishwa-guru" (World teacher) has languished at the bottom.

Ahmed said...

Sir Muzaffar

Salam

Yes to certain extent I agree that Pakistan has not been able to achieve what neighbouring country like India achieved within last 70 years after independence but pls note that their were many factors which played a role in keeping Pakistan behind and unfortunately the incompetent and corrupt politicians of Pakistan including the corrupt beaucrats have played a major role in making Pakistan a stagnant country.

Why do you think majority of the highly educated skilled and qualified people from Pakistan are migrating to other countries?
The graduates from universities of Pakistan are preferring to live and work in foreign countries.

I am in favor of such brain drain from Pakistan to great extent but not completely.

The question arises that has the politicians of Pakistan who come into power after taking over the government have ever tried to educate people of Pakistan about democracy?

Do politicians in Pakistan even know what is democracy?

Do these politicians ever had vision for this country?



Ahmed said...

Sir Muzaffar

Your most welcome to make comments, but as far as I know Pakistanis have more talent, skills and potentials than Indians as far as I know but without support from higher educational institutions, government support and lack of support from foreign governments , the growth and progress of Pakistan in IT, engineering and emerging technology with remain stagnant.



Ahmed said...

Sir Muzaffar

The best kidney specialist in America was a Pakistani and Hollywood actors use to take appointment from him.

The best mechanical engineer in America as far as I have heard was a Pakistani .

The richest South Asian in America is actually a Pakistani by the name Salad Sarah who is very influential and one of the top businessmen or tycoons in America.

Ashraf Ullah Khan Sarah a graduate from NED university of Karachi went to America to continue his higher education and after completing his masters from one of the university in America, he collaborated with an American fellow and started a company named " COMPUTERS AND STRUCTURES". He is one of the co founder of this company. It's a high tech engineering company in America where software developers and software engineers design and develope softwares that provide solutions to architects who design and construct buildings.

This engineering company of Mr. Ashraf actually provides engineering solutions of earth quake proof buildings in Americ. And this engineering company exports it's softwarea to at least 100 countries.



Anonymous said...

Vineeth,
You wrote “…a "Sputnik moment" for India even more than US. “
Hate to bust your bubble but the universe doesn’t revolve around India, nor does the world care about India.
Before “Sputnik moment” India needs “eye opener” moments. The country is 111th on hunger index and 144th on happiness, not a day passes when a low caste is not killed or mutilated, suicide rate increased by about 25% in last few years. You should take care of these first.

G. Ali

Vineeth said...

G Ali,

- "Hate to bust your bubble but the universe doesn’t revolve around India, nor does the world care about India.. Before 'Sputnik moment' India needs 'eye opener' moments."

You do understand the meaning of the idiom 'Sputnik moment', don't you? It IS pretty much what you would call an 'eye opener moment' or 'wake up call'.

'The moment when a country or a society realizes that it needs to catch up with apparent technological and scientific developments made by some other country or countries by increasing its investment into education, innovative research and development, etc.'
https://en.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/Sputnik_moment

I clearly meant that India and its industry (especially IT and electronics) should treat this as a wake up call since China is a next-door neighbour that was pretty much at India's level of economic development in the 1970s and has raced ahead since then. What I said is solely a comparison between Indian industry and its Chinese counterpart, and how Indians should regard China's rise as a economic and technological superpower.

Did I say anything about India being the centre of the world or the world revolving around India here?

- "The country is 111th on hunger index and 144th on happiness, not a day passes when a low caste is not killed or mutilated, suicide rate increased by about 25% in last few years. You should take care of these first."

Are you trying to say Pakistan is a paradise where milk and honey flows, and its economy is doing so well that people aren't risking their lives on dangerous boat trips to Europe in the Mediterranean and the Atlantic?

Lets face it, sir. Indians and Pakistanis are blood brothers divided by religion, and we face many of the same issues and have similar faults and failings. What you say here about India pretty much applies to Pakistan as well, only that India's problems may look magnified by its 6 times larger population. India's track record on economic and social development is certainly inferior to China's, but not to Pakistan's.

Ahmed said...

Dear Mr. Vineeth

Thanks for your replies, to certain extent I think you are right but pls note that we came across quiet a few Indians who are sensible, neutral and good like you. Unfortunately on the newspages of Pakistan on Facebook and on YouTube channels of Pakistan, most of the Indians who make comments, if you read those comments you will be surprised to see the kind of language they use against Pakistan and Pakistanis .

I am sure that most of these Indian trolls who visit newspages of Pakistan on Facebook and on YouTube channels of Pakistan are basically blind and emotional supporters of BJP government.

Thanks

Ahmed said...

Mr. Vineeth

India as a country has its own importance and value in the worlsld, no Pakistani as far as I have seen or know denies this.

And pls note that it is not actually what Pakistanis think and feel about Indians which is a problem but in fact it is versa versa. The problem is what majority of the Indians feel and think about Pakistan is the main problem.

It is the attitude and the pre-concieved negative notions in the minds and hearts of majority of the Indians which is the main obstacle in the improvement of the relations between both countries and people of both countries.



Ahmed said...

Hello Mr. Vineeth

Yes to some extent it is true but pls note that not all people in Pakistan share blood with Indians.

Pls note that according to historical sources, this part of sub continent which is now called " PAKISTAN" was actually invaded by various rulers and invaders who either came from central Asian countries and Arab countries.

Their is a place in the northern areas of Pakistan called " KALAM" and if you visit that place then you will be surprised to see that their is a group of people their wearing strange ancient dresses in black and their looks are different from looks of other Pakistanis.
History has testified that many centuries ago when Alexander the Great came to this place called " KALAM" . He brought some group of people from Greece or Rome and stayed with them here for few months. As soon as he received the message that Greece or Rome has been attacked,,he immediately rushed to western side of Pakistan and tried to cross Iran so that he could reach Rome or Greece to defend his homeland.
The group of people whom he left behind in this region of KALAM wanted to go back with him but Alexander the Great couldn't take them back.

So this group of people from Greece or Rome that was left behind in KALAM region stayed here and their new generations have been living here in KALAM which is now a part of Pakistan for centuries.



Ahmed said...


Dear Sir

Pls check this , according to the research or survey of Stanford Universities department of human centered AI, India si ranked at no. 4 in global AI leaders ranking.

https://hai.stanford.edu/news/global-ai-power-rankings-stanford-hai-tool-ranks-36-countries-ai


Sir can you pls tell where does Pakistan stand in this global AI ranking?


Anonymous said...

UAE ahead of France South Korea Japan and Germany???? Seriously?

Zen, Germany said...

Vineeth, LLM is already the "state of the art" in AI. That ship has sailed for Europe and India because things have already been developed (with major breakthrough coming in 2017 with Transformer architecture by Deepmind owned by Google). China's Deepsake is mostly built on NVIDIA chips and concepts built by OpenAI, even though Pakistani's by virtue of their China love are not going to admit it.

I tell you the following just because you do not seem to be a typical Hindu troll and maybe understand or even gain from reading this - India's future lies probably not in cutting edge AI research..if you even attempt to do that by empowering IIT or IISc (which are way behind than Chinese universities in research), India will still fail to address the basic backwardness in education and other areas (and best IITians will go straight to Stanford or MIT and you can brag about that, but thats it).
Where India could profit most from AI is in applied AI whereby if governments and NGOs are serious, they could utilize AI to improve other areas of life..from education to civil services. But I doubt that'd happen..just look at how whatsapp is being used in India..instead of ending up as a platform that could have been used positively, it ended up gaining infamy as "whatsapp universities" where hatred and superstitions got amplified. I wouldn't be surprised if AI technologies follow a similar trajectory.

Ahmed said...

Dear Sir

I hope you and the team of this blog is doing well.

Sir just recently a summit of AI was held in Paris city of France which was also attended by PM Modi of India.

In this summit, the european countries and their governments have talked about regulating the AI and it's growth in the future.

According to many if not all Asian and European countries , if artificial intelligence is allowed to grow at this fast pace, then in the future it will replace all the humans working in various fields and sectors, causing huge losses to people specially to their jobs.



American government under President Trump has actually refused to sign this agreement with EU(European Union) on regulating the AI and it's growth or extension.

According to administration of President Trump, if at this initial stage we apply regulations on AI then it will put restrictions on the growth of AI hampering it's advancement.

Sir can you pls make a blog about it?

Thanks


Riaz Haq said...

China’s Quantum Leap: The 504-Qubit ‘Xiaohong’ Chip Changes Everything – Engineerine

https://engineerine.com/china-504-qubit-xiaohong-chip/

China has just shattered records in quantum computing with the launch of Tianyan-504, a superconducting quantum computer powered by the Xiaohong chip. With an unprecedented 504 qubits, this marks a major milestone in the global quantum race, putting China in direct competition with tech giants like IBM and Google.

Quantum computing is one of the most revolutionary advancements in technology, with the potential to solve complex problems exponentially faster than traditional computers. From AI to cryptography, medical research, and national security, this breakthrough is a game-changer.

How does Tianyan-504 compare to global competitors, and what does it mean for the future of computing? Let’s break it down.

The Tianyan-504 is China’s most powerful quantum computer to date, developed using superconducting quantum technology. It is powered by the Xiaohong chip, an advanced 504-qubit processor, making it one of the most powerful quantum machines in the world.


Key Features of Tianyan-504:
Record-Breaking 504 Qubits – China’s highest-qubit quantum processor to date.
Superconducting Quantum Technology – Uses extremely cold temperatures to minimize errors and improve qubit stability.
Cloud-Accessible – Available for remote use in 50+ countries via China Telecom.
Rivaling IBM and Google – Competing directly with IBM’s Eagle (433 qubits) and Google’s Sycamore (72 qubits).
With this cutting-edge technology, China has positioned itself as a dominant force in the global quantum race.

Unlike traditional computers that use binary bits (0s and 1s), quantum computers use qubits, which can exist in multiple states simultaneously due to superposition and entanglement. This allows quantum computers to perform massively parallel calculations, solving problems that classical computers would take thousands of years to process.

How the Xiaohong Chip Works:
Qubits Operate in Superposition – This allows them to perform multiple calculations at once.
Quantum Entanglement – Qubits communicate instantaneously, boosting computing efficiency.
Error Correction Mechanisms – Advanced superconducting circuits reduce quantum errors, making calculations more accurate.

Why Is This a Big Deal?
Key Implications of Tianyan-504:
AI and Machine Learning – Quantum computing could train AI models thousands of times faster, accelerating breakthroughs in artificial intelligence.
Cybersecurity and Cryptography – Quantum computers have the power to break traditional encryption, making current security protocols obsolete.
Drug Discovery and Healthcare – Quantum simulations could develop new medicines and treatments at an unprecedented pace.
Climate and Energy Solutions – Quantum algorithms can optimize energy grids, simulate climate models, and enhance battery technology.
National Security and Defense – Quantum advancements could give China an edge in intelligence, surveillance, and secure communications.
By leading in quantum computing, China is gaining a strategic advantage across multiple industries.


Riaz Haq said...

China’s Quantum Leap: The 504-Qubit ‘Xiaohong’ Chip Changes Everything – Engineerine

https://engineerine.com/china-504-qubit-xiaohong-chip/

China has just shattered records in quantum computing with the launch of Tianyan-504, a superconducting quantum computer powered by the Xiaohong chip. With an unprecedented 504 qubits, this marks a major milestone in the global quantum race, putting China in direct competition with tech giants like IBM and Google.

Quantum computing is one of the most revolutionary advancements in technology, with the potential to solve complex problems exponentially faster than traditional computers. From AI to cryptography, medical research, and national security, this breakthrough is a game-changer.

How does Tianyan-504 compare to global competitors, and what does it mean for the future of computing? Let’s break it down.

The Tianyan-504 is China’s most powerful quantum computer to date, developed using superconducting quantum technology. It is powered by the Xiaohong chip, an advanced 504-qubit processor, making it one of the most powerful quantum machines in the world.


Key Features of Tianyan-504:
Record-Breaking 504 Qubits – China’s highest-qubit quantum processor to date.
Superconducting Quantum Technology – Uses extremely cold temperatures to minimize errors and improve qubit stability.
Cloud-Accessible – Available for remote use in 50+ countries via China Telecom.
Rivaling IBM and Google – Competing directly with IBM’s Eagle (433 qubits) and Google’s Sycamore (72 qubits).
With this cutting-edge technology, China has positioned itself as a dominant force in the global quantum race.

Unlike traditional computers that use binary bits (0s and 1s), quantum computers use qubits, which can exist in multiple states simultaneously due to superposition and entanglement. This allows quantum computers to perform massively parallel calculations, solving problems that classical computers would take thousands of years to process.

How the Xiaohong Chip Works:
Qubits Operate in Superposition – This allows them to perform multiple calculations at once.
Quantum Entanglement – Qubits communicate instantaneously, boosting computing efficiency.
Error Correction Mechanisms – Advanced superconducting circuits reduce quantum errors, making calculations more accurate.

Why Is This a Big Deal?
Key Implications of Tianyan-504:
AI and Machine Learning – Quantum computing could train AI models thousands of times faster, accelerating breakthroughs in artificial intelligence.
Cybersecurity and Cryptography – Quantum computers have the power to break traditional encryption, making current security protocols obsolete.
Drug Discovery and Healthcare – Quantum simulations could develop new medicines and treatments at an unprecedented pace.
Climate and Energy Solutions – Quantum algorithms can optimize energy grids, simulate climate models, and enhance battery technology.
National Security and Defense – Quantum advancements could give China an edge in intelligence, surveillance, and secure communications.
By leading in quantum computing, China is gaining a strategic advantage across multiple industries.

Riaz Haq said...

Top China chipmaker SMIC says tariff war sparking 'rush orders'

https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Tech/Semiconductors/Top-China-chipmaker-SMIC-says-tariff-war-sparking-rush-orders

TAIPEI -- China's top chipmaker says clients are stockpiling inventory and asking to move up delivery of orders scheduled for later in the year due to concerns over U.S. tariffs and broader geopolitical tensions.

Zhao Haijun, co-CEO of Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp., told investors and reporters on Wednesday that his company has seen a rush in orders in the first two quarters of 2025.

"We see many [customers] want to ship the products to their export destinations as soon as possible, so they are building up inventories for the second half or even the full year. ... They are hoping to prepare as many parts for their products in advance as soon as possible," Zhao said. "Currently the ocean shipping is very crowded to fulfill all these rush orders as well. ... But we don't know how long this could last, given the dynamics of global uncertainties."

U.S. President Donald Trump has started a broad tariff war against China and other nations, including imposing an additional 10% blanket tariff on Chinese imports.

Zhao said a rapid acceleration of local chip production has raised SMIC's revenue to a record level, but warned of a price war and tariff uncertainties in the second half of 2025.

Efforts to boost local production in critical areas, including automotive applications, are bearing fruit, with some chip products now being produced in large volumes.

China has instructed domestic carmakers, including BYD, to use up to 25% locally made automotive chips to boost local self-sufficiency, Nikkei Asia reported earlier.

The industry reoriented toward the domestic supply chain at "a relatively rapid pace," Zhao said. "Our Chinese customers' market share expanded, and revenue from these customers grew 34%, year over year."

Beijing's economic stimulus measures have also encouraged clients to restock chips used in products like smartphones, notebooks, electric vehicles and bicycles, he said. "Our 8-inch wafer capacity is running at full utilization, beating the traditional seasonality for the first quarter."

"However, we are worried that the rush orders for the first half of this year would result in soft demand in the second half, when many peers will have new capacity go online at the same time," Zhao said. "That means there might be intensified price competition to fight for orders later in the year. ... The trend for the price is unclear for the second half, but it will not go up."

SMIC estimates its 2025 annual revenue will grow 6% to 8%, higher than the industry average in the same markets.

It plans capital investment in 2025 on a similar level as last year's $7.3 billion, much higher than its foreign contract chipmaking peers, such as United Microelectronics Corp.

SMIC's revenue for the last quarter of 2024 rose 31.5% to $2.2 billion, with operating profit nearly doubling from a year earlier. However, its net profit declined 38.4% to $108 million compared with the same period the previous year. The chipmaker attributed this to higher expenses from the startup of new plants.

Its full-year revenue for 2024 was $8.03 billion, up 27% from 2023, with net profit down 45%.

American rival Globalfoundries reported a net loss on Wednesday for the quarter ended Dec. 31. Its full-year revenue came to $6.75 billion, with a net loss of $262 million.

Nearly 90% of SMIC's revenue from the last quarter of 2024 came from China. The figure for the full year was 85%.