The report shows American institutions pumped out 40 notable AI models in 2024, trouncing China’s 15 and Europe’s feeble three. But raw numbers mask the real story: Chinese AI quality has caught up shockingly fast, closing benchmark gaps that were in the double digits just a year ago.
Beijing now leads in AI patents and academic output, putting the frighteners on the usual blowhards in Silicon Valley and the Trump administration who’ve been banging the drum on AI as a pillar of US national security.
Stanford’s researchers said: “The race is tighter than ever, and no one has a clear lead.” It’s a sobering message for Washington’s techno-patriots.
The US holds a towering edge in cash flow. Private AI investment hit $109.1 billion in 2024—nearly 12 times what China scraped together, and 24 times more than the UK’s £4.5 billion (€5.3 billion). Generative AI alone raked in $33.9 billion, an 18.7 per cent jump from the year before.
The report said: "Model development is increasingly global, with notable launches from regions such as the Middle East, Latin America, and Southeast Asia."
AI usage is skyrocketing. More than 78 per cent of organisations reported using AI in 2024, up from 55 per cent in 2023—a sign it’s not just hype anymore.
The gap isn’t just national. Stanford points out that the lead once enjoyed by OpenAI and Google has shrunk, with Meta, Anthropic, and even Elon [Roman Salute] Musk’s xAI producing serious contenders.
The report said while global optimism around artificial intelligence is swelling, it’s anything but evenly spread. Countries like China (83 per cent), Indonesia (80 per cent), and Thailand (77 per cent) are riding high on AI enthusiasm, convinced its benefits outweigh the risks.
But in the US (39 per cent), Canada (40 per cent), and the Netherlands (36 per cent), the mood remains far gloomier. Despite breathless hype from tech giants and Washington’s usual national security hand-wringing, scepticism still dominates much of the West.
There’s movement though. Since 2022, optimism has nudged up in several AI-wary nations. Germany and France each climbed 10 points, with Canada and Great Britain both up 8. Even the US crept forward by 4 per cent—not exactly a revolution, but a shift nonetheless.
The figures suggest a global divide: Asia’s bullish on the bots, while the West clutches its pearls. But if the upward trend continues, even the grumblers may start to come around—grudgingly.
