Comparative study on AI talent cultivation in China and the United States: Strategies and recommendations

Artificial intelligence (AI), as the core driving force of the new industrial revolution, has become a strategic pillar for enhancing national competitiveness, with the cultivation of AI talent being a decisive factor. This study systematically compares the AI talent cultivation systems of China and the United States from three perspectives: strategic planning, formal education, and practical domains. The findings reveal that the U.S. has continuously and systematically advanced AI talent cultivation plans at the national level, granted institutions substantial autonomy in talent cultivation with deep integration of industry-academia-research collaboration, and established a well-developed AI innovation and entrepreneurship environment. Accordingly, the study proposes that China should strengthen systematic national-level deployment and accountability, grant universities greater autonomy, promote the transformation of the talent cultivation system from an education department-led model toward multi-stakeholder coordination and scenario-driven approaches, and consolidate the support of computing power, data, and application scenarios, thereby constructing a high-quality talent cultivation system that supports AI technological innovation and industrial development.