Germany is losing 37% of its AI talent abroad again

Study: The Federal Republic acts more as a hub between East and West

Berlin, January 8, 2023. In the key technology “Artificial Intelligence” (AI), German universities and research institutes are successfully attracting and training young AI talents from Eastern Europe and Asia. However, Germany is losing a large proportion of these talents to the world’s leading AI sites such as the USA. This has a study Research Center “Foundation New Responsibility” (SNV) Originate from Berlin.

Every second AI researcher at German universities comes from India, China, Iran, Russia, etc.

Accordingly, more than half of the doctoral students in the German AI Chairs have completed their bachelor’s degrees abroad. 9% came from other EU countries, 9% from India, 7% from China, 5% from Iran and 3% from Russia.

One in four will move to the USA, Switzerland or England soon after completing a Ph.D

Of these young AI scientists, 63 percent reside in Germany within the first few years after completing their Ph.D. Conversely, 37% of talented people emigrate abroad. “At least 13 percent are attracted to the United States, 7 percent to Switzerland, and 5 percent to Great Britain,” says the study. So while there are certainly attractive AI research opportunities in Germany, there is clearly a lack of really interesting jobs for senior AI experts in the German economy – unlike, for example, in the US. Because there are AI companies that lure with high salaries and research budgets.

Global technology companies attract graduates

“Our data shows that in these target countries, it is especially the large global technology companies that attract AI talent from Germany with their high salaries and research budgets,” say the SNV researchers. Because in Germany, many companies and institutes deal with artificial intelligence, especially for industrial use and other economic applications. There is also a huge demand for AI professionals. However, there are no really big AI companies in the Federal Republic. However, there is a lack of complex large-scale AI projects in the business that have enough appeal for top international talent.

Germany benefits from this influx, but it cannot retain many talents

“The data we evaluated show that German universities and research institutes are successful in attracting and training young talent from Eastern Europe and Asia,” the study authors concluded. However, Germany is then losing a significant proportion of this talent to leading international AI sites such as the USA. According to our analysis, Germany is a kind of middle power that benefits from influx but is unable to retain many of the best talent.”

For their study “Germany as a Location for Artificial Intelligence: Destination or Hub?” , SNV analysts Pegah Maham, Stefan Heumann, Wiebke Denkena, Laurenz Hemmen, and Anna Semenova assessed the career paths of nearly 900 AI PhD students in Germany.

Germany is fighting for more heavyweights in key AI technology

The background of their studies is the German effort to mark international competition with “Made in Germany” artificial intelligence and to enhance the competitiveness and innovation capacity of the German economy with this key technology. There are also ambitious regional plans in this sector. This includes, for example, Saxon AI strategy. The goal is to expand AI research in the Free State, to provide more entry-level staff, to facilitate the transfer of technology to the economy and much more. However, attractive and well-paid jobs in the private sector can only be created in the long run in this way.

Author: Heckbrot

Source: SNV

Scientific publication:

Pegah Maham, Stefan Heumann, Wiebke Denkena, Laurenz Hemmen, and Anna Semenova: “Germany as a Location for Artificial Intelligence: Destination or Hub? – An Empirical Study of Career Paths for AI PhD Students at German Universities”, published in the “Foundation New Responsibility” publication series, Available here. Belrin 2022, Available online here

For further reading:

Germany needs more sources of AI experts

Millions for artificial intelligence research in Saxony

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