AI is changing the way people live and work in all walks of life and in all countries. So, which countries are leading the way in the development of AI? British media agency Tortoise Media recently released the 2023 Global AI Index rankings, which evaluate and compare the AI capabilities of countries from three aspects: investment, innovation and practice. Let's take a look at the highlights and trends of this list.
Image courtesy of Tortoise Media
The United States and China are firmly in the top two, and the gap has narrowed
First, let's take a look at the top two on the list. Not surprisingly, the U.S. remains the global supreme in AI, ranking first in all three indicators with a perfect score of 100. The U.S. stands out particularly in AI investment, thanks to the activity of its startups and the scale of its business investments. The United States also has the largest number of top AI research institutions and talents, as well as the widest range of AI application scenarios and cases.
The United States is followed by China, which ranks second with 62 points. Since the list was first released in 2020, the United States and China have consistently ranked in the top two. China excels in AI innovation, with the most significant machine learning models, including the successful launch of the generative conversational model ChatGPT in 2022. China also has a wide range of application fields and user groups in AI practice, such as smart healthcare, smart cities, smart education, etc.
It is worth noting that the gap between the United States and China in the field of AI is narrowing. According to Tortoise Media, the score gap between the United States and China was 46 points in 2020, narrowed to 41 points in 2021 and 38 points in 2022. This shows that China's development speed in the field of AI has surpassed that of the United States and is catching up.
Asian countries performed well, with Singapore surpassing the UK
In addition to the two strong countries in the United States and China, other Asian countries have also performed well in the field of AI. Singapore finished third with 59 points, overtaking the UK for the first time. Singapore scored highest in AI practices, demonstrating its high level of adoption and diffusion of AI technologies. Singapore is also a leader in the development of AI regulatory legislation in Southeast Asia, demonstrating its emphasis on AI ethics and social impact.
South Korea and Israel also round out the top ten, ranking sixth and seventh respectively. South Korea has made outstanding contributions to AI innovation, such as the successful realization of an AI-assisted control system for hydrogen fusion reactions in 2022. Israel is a global hotspot for AI entrepreneurship, with numerous AI startups and investment institutions.
Tortoise Media pointed out that countries such as Singapore, Israel and Switzerland can make the top ten with relatively small populations and economies, which also reflects the relatively higher "intensity" of these countries in terms of AI capabilities.
Europe is clearly left behind and lacks a unified strategy
In contrast, European countries are lagging behind in the field of AI. With the exception of the UK, which ranked fourth, no other European country made it into the top ten. France ranked eleventh, Germany thirteenth and Italy sixteenth. Europe is significantly underrepresented in AI investment, lagging far behind the US and China. Europe also lacks a unified AI strategy and a coordinated policy framework, resulting in insufficient cooperation and competitiveness among countries.
The EU is working to develop stricter AI regulatory rules to protect the rights and interests of citizens, but this may also limit the scope for AI innovation and application. Europe needs to find a balance between AI ethics and efficiency if it is not to fall behind in the global AI competition.
The 2023 Global AI Index Ranking announces the development status and trends of countries in the field of AI, allowing us to see the leading position of the United States and China, the emergence of Asian countries, and the obvious backwardness of European countries. This list also reflects the impact and changes of AI technology on various fields and industries, as well as people's attitudes and perceptions of AI technology. AI is a field full of opportunities and challenges, and we need to know more, pay attention to and participate in it in order to jointly promote the development and progress of AI.