US leads AI global power rankings by wide margin, China ranks second

The U.S. leads the world in artificial intelligence across a wide number of indicators, with China coming in a distant second, according to Stanford University’s Institute for Human-Centered AI.

The U.S. AI ecosystem outperforms every other country by significant margins. The Stanford tracking system, the AI Index, creates a ranking system based on AI significance, including research and development, economy, technical performance, education, policy and governance, and infrastructure.

“In 2023, the U.S. produced the highest quality AI research, built the most notable machine learning models, spent the most in private investment, and had the most AI merger/acquisition activity,” the report said. “The country also boasted the highest number of AI job postings and newly funded AI startups.”

China ranks a distant second on several key indicators. For example, in 2023, U.S. AI-related private investment totaled $62.7B versus China’s $7.8B. The U.S. also created 61 machine learning models, compared to China’s 15. However, China has produced more AI-related patents than the U.S.

However, other countries are investing more in AI as they realize its potential. The United Arab Emirates has invested heavily in research institutes, and the U.K. recently held the world’s first AI Safety Summit.

“AI has increased as a topic of national interest for countries across the globe, and correspondingly narratives about which countries lead in AI have become more prominent than ever,” said Nestor Maslej, project manager of the AI Index. “However, there’s limited data providing a clear, quantitative view of where countries actually stand in AI. At the AI Index, we wanted to address this gap with a rigorous tool that could help policymakers, business leaders, and the public ground these geopolitical AI narratives in fact.”

2023 Global AI Vibrancy Ranking

1. U.S.

2. China

3. U.K.

4. India

5. United Arab Emirates

6. France

7. South Korea

8. Germany

9. Japan

10. Singapore