North American AI Investment Hits $69.7 Billion Despite Political Headwinds
North American AI and machine learning startups have attracted a staggering $69.7 billion from venture capitalists between February and May 2023. This comes from 1,528 deals aimed at AI innovation.
In stark contrast, European AI ventures secured just $6.4 billion across 742 deals in the same timeframe. Asia didn’t fare much better, seeing only $3 billion in investments through 515 deals. 
The overwhelming dominance of the U.S. in AI funding persists even amid political shifts. Under President Trump, funding for AI research has been slashed, complicating the landscape for foreign AI talent and believing Billions in federal aid to universities could be frozen.
In March, AI pioneer Geoffrey Hinton criticized Elon Musk on X, calling for him to be expelled from the British Royal Society due to perceived damage to U.S. scientific institutions.
Despite the turmoil, Europe hasn’t seen a mass exit of investors or a significant increase in funding. The EU aims to lead in AI, pledging hundreds of billions of euros, but venture capital hasn’t followed suit yet.
China’s AI startups like DeepSeek and Butterfly Effect are struggling with limited VC activity, partially due to tight export controls on AI chips.
Looking ahead, North America is forecast to grab 75.6% of all VC AI funding in 2024, totaling $106.24 billion. This share has spiked to 86.2% in 2025, reaching $79.74 billion.
It’s clear: despite mounting uncertainties, the U.S. remains the main hub for AI investment, as investors bet on its innovative potential for the biggest returns.
