As artificial intelligence (AI) reshapes industries and societies across the globe, one key question continues to rise: who is actually building it? A data-driven report from interface, ‘Where is Europe’s AI workforce coming from’ sheds light on a pressing issue in Europe’s digital strategy; the migration, origin, and education of AI professionals across the continent.
The findings reveal a story of intense global competition, surprising national contrasts, and crucial gaps in policy understanding.
Europe has AI talent, but can it keep it?
Europe boasts an impressive 30% higher per-capita concentration of AI professionals than the U.S. and nearly three times that of China. However, that strength comes with caveats. The region is experiencing a significant brain drain, particularly to the United States, a country that continues to draw Europe’s top AI minds with its renowned universities, massive tech sector, and streamlined immigration paths.
Among the European countries surveyed, France is losing more AI professionals than it gains, while Switzerland and Germany are notable talent magnets—at least for now. Germany in particular is attracting a high volume of AI professionals from India, yet is simultaneously losing many to the UK, Switzerland, and the U.S.
Where is this talent coming from?
Countries vary widely in how much they rely on international talent in the AI sector, even with most AI talent in each country being ‘homegrown’. For example, based on the location for their undergraduate degree, 45% of Germany’s AI workforce studied abroad, compared with 30% in France
Interestingly, general migration trends do not match AI talent flows. In 2021 1.3 million people moved to Germany, mainly from other EU countries, such as Romania and Poland, due to minimum administrative hurdles. However, these countries are not major sources of AI talent. Supported by the Blue CardEU programme, which helps non-EU workers enter Germany, skilled AI professionals come from countries such as India, Russia, and Türkiye.
France attracts AI professionals from French-speaking countries such as Algeria and Morocco, where education systems are closely tied. Language also plays a big role more broadly, English-speaking countries like Ireland and the UK draw many AI professionals from India. Ireland stands out, with 28% of its AI workforce educated in India.
Overall, AI talent migration is shaped more by education systems, language, and policy than by general immigration trends.
The geography of international talent
The report reveals insights into international talent migration, highlighting how countries vary in their reliance on international talent, influenced by education systems, immigration policies, and global demand for AI skills.
Luxembourg stands out with its reliance on imported talent, and nearly half of its entire population are foreign nationals, while Italy, Israel and India are at the opposite end of the spectrum, relying almost exclusively on homegrown talent for their AI workforce.
Liberal immigration policies, thriving tech sectors, and attractive work environments such as those in Ireland and Switzerland, may also be contributing to the draw of international talent. As a region, including the UK and Switzerland, Europe is more international than the U.S., with Estonia standing out for its efforts to attract talent. Additionally, Estonia as a country is highlight digitally literate; IT is compulsory in schools with children starting to learn coding at seven, and 28% of Estonian graduate study STEM subjects.
Overall, countries in Northern and Western Europe have a higher proportion of international AI talent compared to Southern Europe, possibly a reflection of varying economic opportunities, sector demand, and regional appeal.
The diversity of educational pathways into AI
Education paths into AI careers differ sharply between countries, but this could have potential implications for innovation, industry needs, and policymaking.
On average, European AI talent hold more advanced degrees, compared to other regions; seven in ten have a Master’s or PhD along with over a decade of experience. In contrast, the US, Japan, and South Korea have above average undergraduate and PhD holding AI talent, with relatively few holding Master’s degrees, while in India and Singapore, the majority of the AI workforce hold only an undergraduate degree.
These variations reflect the diversity in cultural and educational attitudes. For example, India’s reliance on Bachelor degrees, indicates more emphasis on practical experience, negating the need for post-graduate credentials, whereas France’s AI workforce is distinctively shaped by the Grande Écoles system, that bypasses the traditional Bachelor’s–Master’s route entirely.
This suggests that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to entry into a career in AI.
The policy blind spot
Despite the EU’s recent strategic push, including President von der Leyen’s calls to make Europe an AI leader, the report notes a troubling lack of data-driven policy in this area. With AI talent often lumped under broader “STEM” categories, decision-makers risk misreading the true shape of the workforce and, by extension, misjudging how best to support it.
Understanding where AI talent comes from, and why it stays or leaves, is vital if Europe is to secure its place in the global AI race. As the report argues, you can’t shape policy around AI talent if you do not understand the people behind it.
What the future holds
Europe’s challenge isn’t just attracting AI talent; it is keeping it!
Countries such as Luxembourg and Switzerland lead the way with international AI workforces, however, as tech hubs and language influence talent migration, the continent risks losing local and international talent to the U.S., among other places.
For Europe to maintain a global competitiveness in the AI sector, target strategies such as promoting English-language programs, easing visa processes, and promoting research hubs and industry-academia partnerships will be essential to sustain innovation and the talent pipeline.
What is Europe doing to attract AI talent?
The EIT Deep Tech Talent Initiative, led by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), is a pioneering programme that has skilled one million people within deep tech fields, including AI, to address the talent gap, foster innovation, and develop a strong talent pool across Europe that can leverage the new technologies for the green and digital transition.
By empowering and equipping its workforce with cutting-edge skills, the EIT Deep Tech Talent Initiative also helps ensure that European industries remain at the forefront of global innovation, solidifying the region’s role as a leader in deep tech and securing its future in an increasingly competitive technology-driven world.
From 2026-2028, the EIT Community initiatives will add considerable value to the Union of Skills and its STEM Education Action Plan through its catalogue of training programmes, network of training providers, and funding opportunities for course creation
The Union of Skills
Inspired by the European Competitive Compass, the Union of Skills is a comprehensive plan to elevate education, training, and lifelong learning, and is accompanied by an Action Plan on Basic Skills and a STEM Education Strategic Plan to improve skills in science, technology, engineering, and maths, promote STEM careers, attract more girls and women, and boost preparedness in the face of digital and green transitions.
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