Chinese university Tsinghua University has amassed an impressive 4,986 AI and machine learning patents from 2005 to the end of 2024, surpassing the combined patent count of MIT, Stanford, Princeton, and Harvard during the same period. According to data from LexisNexis, China now accounts for more than half of all active patent families globally in AI and machine learning fields. While the U.S. maintains its dominance in influential AI patents and top-performing models, the number of AI models produced by American institutions reached 40 in 2024, compared to just 15 from Chinese organizations, according to Stanford’s AI Index Report. China’s share of the world’s elite AI researchers — the top 2% — has grown significantly, rising from 10% in 2019 to 26% in 2022. The U.S. share of top AI researchers has decreased from 35% to 28% during the same period. The article highlights the growing influence of Chinese universities in the field of AI, despite the continued leadership of American institutions in the most influential patents and models. This shift may indicate a significant change in the global landscape of AI research and innovation.