Stanford University has updated its Global AI Vibrancy Tool (GVT) (here), “an interactive suite of visualizations designed to facilitate the comparison of AI vibrancy across 36 countries, using 42 indicators organized into 8 pillars.” AI vibrancy is defined as the level of activity, development, and impact of AI technologies within a country. This is captured through several dimensions of AI development, including: Research and Development (R&D), Responsible AI, Economy, Education, Diversity, Policy and Governance, Public Opinion, and Infrastructure.

According to the accompanying paper:

The tool offers customizable features that allow users to conduct in-depth country-level comparisons and longitudinal analyses of AI-related metrics, all based on publicly available data. By providing a transparent assessment of national progress in AI, it serves the diverse needs of policymakers, industry leaders, researchers, and the general public. Using weights for indicators and pillars developed by AI Index’s panel of experts and combined into an index, the Global AI Vibrancy Ranking for 2023 places the United States first by a significant margin, followed by China and the United Kingdom. The ranking also highlights the rise of smaller nations such as Singapore when evaluated on both absolute and per capita bases. The tool offers three sub-indices for evaluating Global AI Vibrancy along different dimensions: the Innovation Index, the Economic Competitiveness Index, and the Policy, Governance, and Public Engagement Index.

The tool addresses the gap left by existing AI-focussed country comparisons and trackers.  The report claims that those trackers “often focus on narrow aspects such as investment levels or publication counts and may include broader, not necessarily AI-specific, indicators”.  Those indicators may help for understanding the general technological and educational infrastructure but “may not directly measure a country’s AI-related progress and capabilities”.

How does the UK do globally? It ranks third in 2023 (the latest data available), with “strength in the Research and Development, Education, and Policy and Governance pillars”. The UK hosts top computer science universities, DeepMind, leads in the number of AI study programs and, in 2023, had more mentions of AI in parliamentary proceedings than any other country (including proposed bills, such as the Public Authority Algorithmic and Automated Decision-Making Systems Bill), hosted the world’s first international AI Safety Summit in 2023, and was among the first countries to launch an institute dedicated to AI safety.

 

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