Immigrants have played a significant role in shaping the US artificial intelligence (AI) industry. According to a report by the National Foundation for American Policy (NFAP), 65% of the top AI companies in the US have been founded or co-founded by foreign-born entrepreneurs. This article explores some key findings from the report that shed light on their significant contributions in the AI sector.
Diverse Origins and Entrepreneurial Spirit
Immigrant entrepreneurs in AI companies hail from 21 different countries, highlighting the global nature of talent and innovation in the field of artificial intelligence. Some notable examples of immigrant entrepreneurs who have made significant contributions to the US AI industry include:
- Andrew Ng: Ng is a Chinese-American computer scientist and co-founder of Coursera, an online learning platform that offers courses on AI and other topics. He is also a former vice president and chief scientist at Baidu, a Chinese multinational technology company.
- Amr Awadallah: Awadallah is an Egyptian-American entrepreneur and co-founder of Cloudera, a software company that provides Apache Hadoop and related software for big data processing. He is also a former vice president of engineering at Yahoo.
- Ginni Rometty: Rometty is an Indian-American businesswoman and the former CEO of IBM. She is a strong advocate for STEM education and diversity in the workplace.
Dominance of International Students
International students play a crucial role in shaping the US AI landscape. They make up a significant portion, approximately 70%, of full-time graduate students in computer science and engineering programs at US universities. This influx of international students brings a wealth of diverse perspectives and expertise to the US AI industry.
For example, in 2021, the top AI company in the US, Alphabet Inc. (parent company of Google), hired more international students than US graduates from computer science and engineering programs. This trend is likely to continue as the US AI industry continues to grow and demand for skilled workers increases.
Immigrants Driving Innovation and Job Creation
Highly skilled immigrants in the AI sector are driving innovation and job creation in the US. They are more likely to patent inventions, start companies, and create jobs compared to their US-born counterparts with similar qualifications.
For example, a study by the University of California, Berkeley found that immigrants are twice as likely as US-born workers to start businesses. Additionally, a study by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine found that immigrants are more likely to patent inventions than US-born workers.
The entrepreneurial spirit of immigrant entrepreneurs is essential to the growth and success of the US AI industry. Their companies create jobs, stimulate economic development, and contribute to technological advancement in the US.
For example, the company Cloudera, co-founded by Amr Awadallah, has created over 2,500 jobs in the US. Additionally, the company has generated over $1 billion in revenue since its founding in 2008.
Conclusion
Immigrants play a vital role in the US AI industry. They are founders and co-founders of top AI companies, they drive innovation, and they create jobs. The US government should continue to support immigration policies that attract and retain highly skilled immigrants, as they are essential to the continued growth and success of the US AI industry.
Additional Information
Some additional facts and statistics about the contributions of immigrants to the US AI industry:
- Immigrants are more likely to work in high-tech industries than native-born Americans. In 2020, 27% of immigrants worked in high-tech industries, compared to 18% of native-born Americans.
- Immigrants are more likely to have advanced degrees than native-born Americans. In 2020, 21% of immigrants had a master’s degree or higher, compared to 11% of native-born Americans.
- Immigrant-owned businesses generate $1.3 trillion in annual revenue and employ over 5 million people.
These statistics highlight the significant contributions that immigrants make to the US economy, including the AI industry. The US government should continue to support immigration policies that attract and retain highly skilled immigrants, as they are essential to the continued growth and success of the US AI industry. And we must never forget that US AI plays a significant role in the business side of Generative AI (The Trillion-Dollar Catalyst for Global Economy).
Key Takeaway
The NFAP report reveals that 65% of the top AI companies in the US have been founded or cofounded by immigrants. The diverse origins of immigrant entrepreneurs, the dominance of international students in computer science and engineering programs, and the entrepreneurial impact of highly skilled immigrants highlight the significant contributions of immigrants in the US AI industry.
