How anti-immigration policy will cost the US its AI leadership

A comprehensive 2026 report from the Stanford Institute for Human-Centered AI (HAI) reveals that the US is losing its competitive edge in artificial intelligence. While the US leads in private investment, it is experiencing a sharp decline in attracting global AI talent—an 89% drop since 2017—due to restrictive immigration policies, high costs of living, and geopolitical tensions. The analysis suggests that the current administration's hardline stance on immigration is dismantling the talent pipeline essential for technological supremacy, forcing major tech companies to relocate R&D centres to more welcoming regions, including Europe, while the US risks losing its global leadership in AI innovation.