BEIJING — Over 50,000 AI professionals in China were registered on LinkedIn at the end of Q1, seventh globally, according to the survey by the social networking website with a total of over 1.9 million registered AI professionals.

The United States has the largest number at over 850,000, most of whom are software or hardware developers. China's AI professionals focus more on technology and applications, said a report based on the survey.

Some Chinese AI professionals working overseas have chosen to return to China, especially from the United States, according to the report.

China has growing appeal for them thanks to its Internet penetration, huge data pool, diverse application scenarios and capital support, according to Wang Di, head of engineering with LinkedIn China.

LinkedIn began to help Chinese firms recruit AI professionals overseas in 2016 and has supported firms including Baidu and Didi to recruit from the United States, attracting over 500 AI technicians from overseas.