AI Reports · Stanford HAI · 2026-10-30 · Policy position
Policy Implications of DeepSeek AI’s Talent Base | Stanford HAI
This brief analyzes the talent base of Chinese AI startup DeepSeek and calls on U.S. policymakers to reinvest in competing to attract and retain global AI talent. Examining the 223 authors of DeepSeek's five foundational technical papers, it finds that nearly all were educated or trained in China and more than half never left China for schooling or work. Of the quarter or so with U.S. experience, most returned to China to work on AI development.