Senator Kim Highlights High-Skilled Immigration as Tool to Boost America’s Competitive Edge in AI
May 9, 2025
WASHINGTON D.C. – Yesterday, during a Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation hearing entitled “Winning the AI Race: Strengthening U.S. Capabilities in Computing and Innovation”, Senator Andy Kim highlighted the importance of high-skilled immigration as a tool to boost United States’ global competitiveness in the AI innovation race.
Senator Kim honed in on the importance of developing talent in the U.S. as well as drawing in talent from the rest of the world to maintain America’s innovation edge. Senator Kim asked Dr. Lisa Su, Chief Executive Officer and Chair, Advanced Micro Devices (AMD): “Each of you is talking about talent as this incredible power but also could be a bottleneck to us, how are we doing when it comes to development of talent in this country?”
Dr. Su responded: “I think we do have a very talented overall talent-base, but we also have the desire to have the best and that includes not only U.S. nationals but also having the best international students…I think high-skilled immigration is one of those areas where we want the best people in the world to be doing their work in the United States.”
The hearing was held in the context of the Trump administration’s actions to isolate the United States from the rest of the world through proposed cuts to key American global leadership programs that allow the United States to shape the future of key technologies. In a recent op-ed published by MSNBC.com, Senator Kim warned that, “We should respond to the inspiring yet daunting innovations of AI by working with partners to set norms for its use, growing prosperity for American businesses and securing us from its dangers.”
Senator Kim is a member of the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation; the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs; the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP); the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs; and the Special Committee on Aging. Before being elected to the U.S. Senate, Kim represented New Jersey’s Third Congressional District in the U.S. House and was a career public servant working in national security and diplomacy at the White House, State Department, and Pentagon. Learn more about Senator Kim’s service on behalf of New Jersey here.
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