U.S. Leads AI Race, Denmark Tops Nordic Rankings

The U.S. holds a commanding lead in artificial intelligence globally, followed by China and the United Kingdom, according to Stanford’s Global Vibrancy Tool 2024. Among Nordic countries, Denmark leads the pack.

The Global AI Vibrancy Tool, developed by the AI Index research team at the Stanford Institute for Human-Centered AI (HAI), evaluates 36 countries on 42 indicators.

“AI has become a critical area for national competitiveness,” said Nestor Maslej, project manager for the AI Index. He emphasized the tool’s role in guiding policymakers and business leaders with data-driven insights. 

The Global and National AI Vibrancy Ranking includes a default weighting schema based on the AI Index team’s assessment of the relative importance of various pillars and indicators. However, users are welcomed to adjust the weights of both pillars and indicators to reflect their own perspectives on their relative importance. Source: HAI

The U.S. dominated across the board, producing 61 notable AI models in 2023—far surpassing China’s 15 and the European Union’s 21. The U.S. also led in private investment, responsible AI research, and AI startup activity.

Denmark ranks 17th, while Norway follows closely at 18th. Finland and Sweden are positioned at 20th and 25th, respectively, indicating varying levels of AI ecosystem development among Nordic countries.

The rankings reflect the growing global prioritization of AI, with countries like the United Arab Emirates and South Korea climbing in recent years. The tool’s developers plan to expand its scope by including more nations and indicators in future editions.