A Chat About AI, Immigration, and Trump

Posted on July 25, 2025 by JimS

By Jim Shimabukuro (assisted by Perplexity)
Editor

Introduction: I had a wide-ranging chat with Perplexity today (25 July 2025) that revolved around U.S. STEM leadership in academia and industry with a powerful undercurrent of conservative US immigration policy trends and the probability of their continued expansion in the post-Trump era. Here’s the conversation in an interview format.

JS: I notice that many (most?) of the top AI executives seem to be from outside the US even when they’re associated with companies in the US. Is this true? Please explain why or why not, and share your thoughts re how this trend might play out in the coming years.

Perplexity: Yes—the majority of top AI executives and founders at US-based companies are foreign-born. Multiple recent reports show that approximately 60–77% of leading AI startups in the United States have at least one immigrant founder (78910). The trend is similar at the executive level, with major companies such as NVIDIA (Jensen Huang, Taiwan), AMD (Lisa Su, Taiwan), and OpenAI (Elon Musk, South Africa; Ilya Sutskever, Canada; Wojciech Zaremba, Poland) led or co-founded by individuals from outside the US (78). Furthermore, among AI graduate students and researchers in the US, 70% or more are international, feeding this leadership pipeline (1110).

The reasons for the trend is that the US has long attracted global talent, especially for graduate studies. Many leaders first arrived on student visas, others as skilled immigrants (789). Furthermore, the concentration of world-class research institutions, capital, and established AI ecosystems in the US makes it the preferred place for top global talent to launch and scale companies.

Competition for global talent will intensify. Other countries are stepping up incentives and infrastructure to retain or lure back top AI talent, challenging the US’s traditional “magnet” status (710). Immigration barriers (e.g., green card wait times) risk undermining US leadership unless addressed (710).

US AI success will continue to rely on immigrants because the diversity of backgrounds and perspectives is key to innovation and competitiveness, both in technical fields and business leadership(1213). If the US maintains relatively open pathways, foreign-born talent will remain foundational to its AI sector. Should immigration become significantly more restrictive, or global AI ecosystems mature, top talent may increasingly build or join leading firms elsewhere.

In summary, most US AI firms—especially the most influential—are founded and led by foreign-born individuals, a trend driven by global talent mobility and America’s historical academic and entrepreneurial draw. The future of US dominance in AI will continue to hinge on immigration policy and the ability to attract, retain, and empower diverse talent.

Citations:

  1. https://www.peerbits.com/blog/ai-chatbot-trends.html
  2. https://www.fullview.io/blog/ai-customer-service-stats
  3. https://explodingtopics.com/blog/chatbot-statistics
  4. https://www.fhi.ox.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/FAIC.pdf
  5. https://intelligence.org/files/PredictingAI.pdf
  6. https://www.reddit.com/r/OptimistsUnite/comments/1g40fjr/what_is_the_more_accurate_prediction_for_ai_in/
  7. https://ifp.org/most-of-americas-top-ai-companies-were-founded-by-immigrants/
  8. https://www.business2community.com/business-news-and-stories/new-report-finds-that-the-us-ai-industry-is-mostly-run-by-immigrants/
  9. https://www.axios.com/2025/04/16/ai-immigration-us-companies
  10. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/education/news/65-of-top-ai-companies-in-the-us-founded-by-immigrants-report-shows/articleshow/117910620.cms
  11. https://www.econlib.org/the-global-distribution-of-ai-talent/
  12. https://digitalterminal.in/opinion/tech-enabled-inclusion-using-data-and-ai-to-strengthen-diverse-leadership-pipelines
  13. https://www.weforum.org/stories/2023/08/ai-workplace-leadership-development-diverse/
  14. https://chisw.com/blog/future-trends-in-ai-chatbots/
  15. https://www.forbes.com/councils/forbestechcouncil/2025/01/14/conversational-ai-trends-for-2025-and-beyond/
  16. https://www.pwc.com/us/en/tech-effect/ai-analytics/ai-predictions.html
  17. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/future-ai-leadership-era-dei-backlash-whats-stake-loren-cossette-zhq8c
  18. https://ff.co/ai-statistics-trends-global-market/
  19. https://thefinancialtechnologyreport.com/the-top-25-fintech-ai-executives-of-2025/
  20. https://www.dipolediamond.com/a-comprehensive-guide-to-ai-chatbots-in-2025/

JS: Does the trend toward foreign-born expertise and leadership hold true in top US colleges, too? Explain why or why not?

Perplexity: Yes, the trend of foreign-born expertise and leadership holds strongly in top US colleges, especially in STEM fields and, most notably, in artificial intelligence (AI) and computer science disciplines.

The majority of America’s leading AI researchers—those producing the most impactful, frequently cited work—were born or educated outside of the US. As of late 2022, approximately 70% of America’s top AI researchers were foreign-born or foreign-educated, and the vast majority continued to work within US universities and research institutions (1). These influential researchers are heavily concentrated in top-ranked universities, especially those renowned for computer science and engineering.

At the graduate level, international students make up a significant majority in AI-related fields. Roughly 70% of full-time graduate students in AI-relevant subjects at US universities are international students. In top computer science programs, international students frequently comprise over 65%—and sometimes up to 80%—of full-time graduate cohorts (23). Non-US citizens account for more than half of doctorate-level AI graduates at US institutions. This international surge in advanced degrees supplies much of the faculty and future research leadership pipeline in these fields (4).

Across all STEM disciplines, foreign-born scholars and scientists are overrepresented compared to the general US workforce. About 43% of US doctorate-holders working as scientists and engineers are foreign-born, with even higher rates in computer and mathematical sciences (58%) (56).

Many of the top 100 US universities employ considerable numbers of international staff and faculty. Elite institutions, including the Universities of California (multiple campuses), Harvard, Yale, Columbia, and Johns Hopkins, have significant proportions of international faculty and researchers (7). Foreign-born faculty are particularly prevalent in STEM departments and, within AI and computing, often hold key leadership positions, lead research labs, and supervise large numbers of domestic and international students (18).

This trend is a result of many factors:

  • US graduate programs have long attracted top talent from abroad, many of whom remain in academia as researchers and professors after their studies.
  • US colleges and universities are H-1B cap-exempt, making it easier for international experts to be hired and retained (7).
  • The reputation, funding, and research ecosystem of elite US colleges continue to attract and retain the world’s leading scholars.
  • Departments with more international faculty tend to attract more international students, perpetuating global diversity and expertise in key fields (8).
  • A large majority (over 85%) of foreign-born leaders and researchers who earn doctorates at top US schools remain in the country and contribute to US academic leadership (19).

In conclusion, top US colleges, particularly in the fields that drive artificial intelligence and computer science, rely heavily on foreign-born expertise at all levels—students, faculty, and research leadership. This trend is foundational to the intellectual vibrancy, global competitiveness, and innovative capacity of American higher education, and mirrors the patterns seen in top US AI companies (24135). The continuation of this trend depends on policies that maintain the openness and appeal of US academic institutions to the world’s best talent.

Citations:

  1. https://cset.georgetown.edu/wp-content/uploads/CSET-Report-on-a-Page-Voices-of-Innovation.pdf
  2. https://nfap.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/AI-AND-IMMIGRANTS.NFAP-Policy-Brief.2023.pdf
  3. https://www.forbes.com/sites/stuartanderson/2021/08/19/international-students-remain-a-primary-source-of-us-tech-talent/
  4. https://bidenwhitehouse.archives.gov/cea/written-materials/2025/01/14/ai-talent-report/
  5. https://www.axios.com/2024/03/13/us-workforce-foreign-born-stem-research
  6. https://ncses.nsf.gov/pubs/nsb20245/foreign-born-stem-workers
  7. https://interstride.com/blog/top-100-u-s-schools-with-the-most-international-staff-and-faculty/
  8. https://www.diverseeducation.com/faculty-staff/article/15082918/just-the-stats-a-closer-look-at-stem-majors
  9. https://cset.georgetown.edu/wp-content/uploads/Keeping-Top-AI-Talent-in-the-United-States.pdf
  10. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/23/upshot/harvard-trump-international-students.html
  11. https://site.deltainstitute.co/blog/unveiling-excellence-top-us-colleges-for-studying-artificial-intelligence-ai
  12. https://www.fwd.us/news/international-students/
  13. https://cra.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/2015-Taulbee-Survey.pdf
  14. https://indianexpress.com/article/trending/top-10-listing/top-10-countries-leading-in-artificial-intelligence-ai-india-rank-9820641/
  15. https://www.higheredimmigrationportal.org/research/how-immigrant-origin-leaders-contribute-to-u-s-colleges-and-universities/
  16. https://cra.org/crn/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2022/05/May-22-CRN.pdf
  17. https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/rankings/computer-science/artificial-intelligence
  18. https://csrankings.org
  19. https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/fact-sheet/foreign-born-stem-workers-united-states/
  20. https://campustechnology.com/articles/2024/11/21/united-states-leads-in-stanford-hai-global-ai-ranking.aspx

JS: Will this trend of foreign-born STEM leaders in academics and industry continue to expand in coming years? Why or why not? If not, is the current US political climate the cause? Will this climate make an exception in immigration laws to continue US leadership in STEM fields?

Perplexity: The expansion of foreign-born leadership and expertise in US STEM academia and industry is likely to continue for the foreseeable future, but its pace will depend heavily on US immigration policy and global competition for talent.

Foreign-born individuals now make up a significant and increasing share of the US STEM workforce—about 19% of all STEM workers and 43% of doctorate-level scientists and engineers in 2021. The proportion is even higher in cutting-edge fields such as artificial intelligence and computer science, where nearly 60% of doctorate-level workers are foreign-born (235910).

The reasons for this trend are: (1) US educational pipelines are currently insufficient to meet short-term demand, especially in high-tech fields (25). (2) The US has a strong record of retaining international graduates, with 65-71% of foreign S&E doctorate recipients remaining in the US a decade after graduation, especially in fields vital to national competitiveness (235). (3) Research consistently shows that foreign-born STEM leaders drive innovation, business creation, and new job opportunities for Americans (18).

However, this trend is being threatened: (1) Increasingly restrictive US immigration policies could slow or even reverse this trend. Many talented STEM graduates face cumbersome and uncertain visa processes, and improvements to these pathways have been slow and politically contentious (236). (2) Other countries—especially China, India, and those in the EU—are rapidly improving their own research ecosystems and are actively seeking to attract or retain top talent who once preferred US careers (5). (3) There is evidence that growing numbers of students from countries like China are choosing to return home, lured by better opportunities or pushed by US visa uncertainty (5).

While there is bipartisan recognition of the economic and security value of foreign-born STEM professionals, current US political debates over immigration have made comprehensive reform difficult (235). However, some incremental changes have been made or proposed—such as exemptions from green card caps for STEM doctorates and the expansion of work authorization for STEM graduates—that reflect this awareness (2). The degree to which exceptions for STEM are expanded will depend on continued lobbying by business, academia, and security interests, as well as evolving geopolitical realities. The CHIPS and Science Act, for instance, underscored the national imperative to attract STEM talent (2).

In summary: The trend toward foreign-born leadership in STEM fields will likely continue—possibly even expand—if the US maintains policies attractive to global talent. Restrictive immigration laws or a less welcoming national climate could slow or reverse this trend, especially as international competition rises. Policymakers may pursue targeted exceptions or reforms for STEM fields out of economic necessity, but substantial expansion will depend on both political will and the competitive global environment (235610).

Citations:

  1. https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/fact-sheet/foreign-born-stem-workers-united-states/
  2. https://www.csis.org/analysis/innovation-lightbulb-foreign-born-share-us-stem-workforce
  3. https://www.aau.edu/newsroom/leading-research-universities-report/new-data-show-us-retains-significant-share-foreign
  4. https://www.nsf.gov/nsb/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=309769
  5. https://www.axios.com/2024/03/13/us-workforce-foreign-born-stem-research
  6. https://www.nationaldefensemagazine.org/articles/2025/4/14/us-needs-international-talent-to-maintain-tech-leadership
  7. https://ncses.nsf.gov/pubs/nsb20245/foreign-born-stem-workers
  8. https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/about-immigration/innovation-stem-fields/
  9. https://ifp.org/stem-immigration-is-critical-to-american-national-security/
  10. https://www.conference-board.org/research/ced-policy-backgrounders/women-in-stem-closing-the-gender-gap

JS: Is it safe to assume that President Trump holds the key to continuing the (exponential?) growth of foreign-born STEM leaders in US academia and industry, and, if so, what is the likelihood that he’ll favor an exception to stricter immigration laws to feed this trend?

Perplexity: It is not safe to assume that President Trump will act as a strong enabler of continued or exponential growth in foreign-born STEM leaders in US academia and industry. While Trump has made ambiguous, sometimes contradictory statements—occasionally supporting green cards for top international graduates—most concrete policies and signals from his current administration point toward more restrictive immigration measures overall.

The Trump administration has signaled intentions to restrict key pathways for foreign-born STEM talent, including: (1) Limiting access to H-1B visas, which are crucial for advanced STEM hiring (14). (2) Restricting or eliminating Optional Practical Training (OPT) and STEM OPT, programs that allow international students to work post-graduation (459). Tightening rules for international students, potentially shortening visa durations and increasing enforcement and denial rates (15). Publicly considering country-specific bans or targeting visas for students from certain nations, especially China (1).

The official 2025 Trump administration AI plan conspicuously omits any reference to the critical role of immigrants and foreign-born talent, despite industry consensus that global human capital is a primary driver of US AI and STEM leadership. This indicates a lack of policy focus on attracting or retaining international experts in STEM (23).

Trump’s signals and rhetoric have been contradictory. During the 2024 campaign, Trump verbally supported granting green cards to international STEM graduates, calling it potentially a “day one” issue. However, this proposal has not been specified in policy or acted upon, and would likely require legislative action—which is uncertain given broader administration priorities and political realities (35). Most definitive actions and executive orders have prioritized restricting, rather than enabling, flows of STEM talent from abroad (145).

The likelihood that President Trump will carve out a broad, lasting exception to otherwise stricter immigration laws for STEM talent is low based on observable policy, despite occasional statements to the contrary (245). There is some political understanding of the economic value of STEM immigration, and the possibility of targeted, narrowly-defined exceptions exists (for example, green cards for an elite subset of graduates or workers). Yet, systemic measures benefiting the broader international STEM community—such as maintaining or expanding OPT/STEM OPT or increasing H-1B quotas—do not align with the administration’s overall approach (145). Enforcement-first and “American jobs” rhetoric continues to dominate, and industry observers remain skeptical of actual policy relief (34).

Summary Table

DimensionTrump Administration’s Likely Stance (2025–26)
H-1B VisasRestrictive (possible cuts or new barriers)
OPT/STEM OPTRestrictive (elimination or curtailment likely)
Student VisasMore stringent rules, shorter duration, higher risk
Green Cards for STEM GradsVague/contradictory; not an official policy
AI/STEM in Immigration PlansOmitted

In conclusion, President Trump is not currently positioned as a predictable driver of continued foreign-born STEM leadership growth. His policies trend toward tighter immigration—making broad exceptions for STEM unlikely. Occasional supportive statements lack policy follow-through or legislative backing, and experts widely caution that continued US STEM and AI leadership is at risk unless active steps are taken to attract (not repel) global talent (12345).

Citations:

  1. https://cen.acs.org/policy/Trumps-immigration-policy-could-affect-chemistry-students-and-workers/103/i1
  2. https://www.forbes.com/sites/stuartanderson/2025/07/24/trump-ai-plan-omits-role-of-immigration-and-foreign-born-talent/
  3. https://www.brookings.edu/articles/trumps-immigration-policies-may-threaten-american-ai-leadership/
  4. https://www.forbes.com/sites/stuartanderson/2025/07/21/new-trump-immigration-policy-ending-the-h-1b-visa-lottery/
  5. https://www.employmentlawworldview.com/trump-immigration-2-0-what-the-election-means-for-u-s-employers/
  6. https://cen.acs.org/policy/Trump-throws-international-science-immigration/98/i25
  7. https://www.aplu.org/news-and-media/in-the-news/trump-throws-international-science-immigration-into-turmoil/
  8. https://www.wskg.org/2025-07-03/how-immigration-policies-are-impacting-stem
  9. https://www.boundless.com/blog/trump-immigration-policy-second-term/
  10. https://www.wusf.org/2025-07-03/how-immigration-policies-are-impacting-stem

JS: Assuming that Trump doesn’t find a way to extend his presidential (vice-presidential?) power after his 2nd term expires, are there any conservative political leaders capable of replacing him and continuing his anti-immigration trajectories?

Perplexity: Yes, there are multiple prominent conservative political leaders in the US who are capable of replacing Donald Trump and continuing his anti-immigration trajectory. The current cohort of Republican leaders—both nationally and at the state level—has largely adopted stances on immigration that match or even exceed Trump’s hardline positions, and the Republican Party platform as of 2024 is closely aligned with these policies (567).

One of the key figures is J.D. Vance (Trump’s vice president and a likely future presidential contender), who has strongly endorsed Trump’s immigration approach, favoring mass deportations, severe restrictions on asylum, building the border wall, and shifting legal immigration toward “merit-based” systems while opposing amnesty for undocumented immigrants (23). Others are Ron DeSantis (Florida Governor), Nikki Haley (former UN Ambassador), Vivek Ramaswamy, and Tim Scott. All have publicly championed measures such as mass deportations, ending birthright citizenship, militarizing the border, and reducing overall immigration—often advocating for policies that originated with or were popularized by Trump (467).

These leaders have made hardline immigration policies a central part of their platforms, and polling shows that these views now represent the mainstream of the Republican Party rather than an isolated faction (679). The party’s current platform specifically calls for: (1) Sealing the border and stopping “the migrant invasion.” (2) Launching the largest deportation operation in US history. (3) Cutting federal funding to sanctuary cities. (4) Restricting legal immigration to primarily skilled, economically beneficial entrants, ending “chain migration,” and implementing extreme ideological vetting (56).

Given these facts, it is highly probable that even after Trump’s formal influence wanes—barring extraordinary extensions of executive power—his approach to immigration will persist and potentially intensify under future conservative leadership. There is a deep bench of politicians ready to assume this mantle due to the normalization and institutionalization of these policies within the Republican establishment.7

In summary, the anti-immigration trajectory is now embedded in the Republican Party’s leadership cadre and grassroots base. No single individual, including Trump, is uniquely essential to its continuity. Unless there are dramatic shifts in Republican politics or public attitudes, his successors are likely to maintain or toughen these policies—reflecting both party orthodoxy and strong support among GOP voters (69).

Citations:

  1. https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/2024-presidential-candidates-stand-immigration/story?id=103313097
  2. https://www.docketwise.com/blog/where-the-2024-presidential-election-candidates-stand-on-immigration/
  3. https://www.cidob.org/en/publications/immigration-2024-us-presidential-election-campaign-policy-stalemate-disinformation-and
  4. https://ballotpedia.org/2024_presidential_candidates_on_immigration
  5. https://www.boundless.com/blog/what-the-new-republican-party-platform-says-about-immigration/
  6. https://reason.com/2023/11/23/gop-candidates-compete-to-restrict-immigration/
  7. https://www.axios.com/2023/09/28/republican-debate-2024-immigration
  8. https://www.as-coa.org/articles/poll-tracker-attitudes-immigration-2024-us-elections
  9. https://www.pewresearch.org/race-and-ethnicity/2024/09/27/trump-and-harris-supporters-differ-on-mass-deportations-but-favor-border-security-high-skilled-immigration/
  10. https://carey.jhu.edu/articles/immigration-debate-policies-and-perceptions-2024-us-presidential-election

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