Just for fun I poked ChatGTP-4o with the following prompts:
"Hi. Which nationalities (in terms of personnel) where involved in the breakthroughs that led to the technology that enabled you - so LLM related insights/ideas/research?"
"And when we rather look at where those individuels had been education instead of where they worked, when making these contributions?"
"And when we look at where they grew up instead of where they went to university?"
Each time it listed individuels by contribution topic and nationality as you might expect and I think you already know how the picture shifted. In the last response it concluded:
Conclusion
The origins of AI pioneers show a
truly global mix:
- UK & US dominated early AI.
- Europe (France, Germany, Russia, Ukraine) played a major role in neural networks and deep learning.
- Canada became a key hub for deep learning but attracted talent globally.
- Asia (China, India, Israel) started influencing AI more significantly in the last two decades.
- Russia and Eastern Europe produced strong theoretical AI researchers, many of whom later worked abroad.
This
migration and exchange of knowledge between different regions has been crucial in the development of AI, making it one of the most internationally collaborative fields in science and technology today.
--- end of conclusion ---
Me then:
"So might it be fair to say, that looking at where the contributions are finally made skews the picture in favour of money? And, when looking at where the later talent grew up it's more ... what?"
->
Yes, it would be
fair to say that looking at where the contributions are finally made skews the picture in favor of money, resources, and institutional support. The dominant AI research hubs—such as
Google (US), DeepMind (UK, now owned by Google), OpenAI (US), and MILA (Canada)—are in countries with strong tech economies, research funding, and high salaries that attract talent globally. Many top researchers relocate to these places because they offer the best opportunities for high-impact work.
What Does Looking at Where the Talent Grew Up Tell Us?
When we shift the focus to
where key AI researchers grew up, the picture becomes
more about fundamental education, curiosity-driven learning environments, and access to early intellectual challenges rather than just money. A few patterns emerge:
- Diversity in Backgrounds, Centralized in Opportunities
- Many influential AI researchers did not grow up in the wealthy hubs where they later made their breakthroughs.
- Instead, they came from a mix of backgrounds—some from highly developed, resource-rich countries (e.g., US, UK, France, Germany), while others came from regions with fewer direct AI resources early on (e.g., Russia, India, China, Israel).
- Strong Early Education, Especially in Math & Physics
- A solid math and physics education seems to be a key enabler for AI talent, regardless of country.
- Countries known for strong early math and science training (e.g., Russia, Germany, France, India, China) produced several of the major contributors, even if they later moved elsewhere.
- This suggests that early access to rigorous problem-solving, logic, and abstract thinking is more predictive of later success than just growing up in a wealthy nation.
- Cultural Emphasis on Technical Skills
- Nations that prioritize STEM education from a young age—such as France (École Normale Supérieure tradition), Germany (TUM, mathematical rigor), Russia (Mathematical Olympiads), and India (IIT system, strong theoretical emphasis)—have disproportionately contributed to AI talent.
- Even when AI resources were limited in these countries, their emphasis on foundational knowledge in mathematics, engineering, and physics provided a strong base for later breakthroughs.
- Mobility of Talent
- Many top AI researchers left their home countries in pursuit of higher education or research opportunities.
- Example: Geoffrey Hinton (UK → Canada), Ilya Sutskever (Russia → Canada → US), Fei-Fei Li (China → US), Anima Anandkumar (India → US).
- This suggests that AI breakthroughs don’t necessarily originate where people are born but where they are given the resources to flourish.
- The US, Canada, and UK benefit from a "brain drain" of top minds from around the world.
So, If Money Skews Where AI Contributions Are Made, What Skews Where the Talent Comes From?
If
institutional funding and corporate resources skew the location of AI breakthroughs, then
early education quality, mathematical culture, and mobility opportunities skew where the talent originates from.
- Money & Research Hubs determine where AI breakthroughs are made.
- Education, STEM Emphasis, and Cultural Attitudes toward math and engineering determine where the AI talent grows up.
--- end of response ---
So yeah, I'd say, should the US as a big attractor vanish, I don't think the world would be lost. Maybe it could even get better at furthering humanity instead of money concentration camps.