DAVOS (dpa-AFX) – The United States is clearly at the forefront of the global race for artificial intelligence (AI). Europe follows in second place and is at least just ahead of China. This is the result of a current study by the consulting firm KPMG, for which over 900 decision-makers worldwide were surveyed.
The “Strategic AI Capability Index” (SACI) was developed by KPMG together with the AI Federal Association and the British consulting firm Oxford Economics. It measures how extensively AI is already being used in the respective economy, how sustainable the political and legal framework is and how well research, skilled workers and training are positioned in the national economy.
The USA’s leading position in the ranking with 75.2 points on a scale from zero to 100 is based on the fact that American companies use the new technology quickly and comprehensively in their everyday business. This is facilitated by well-functioning Financial markets and widespread access to powerful computers. The US also benefits from strong research and many well-trained professionals, which helps bring AI solutions quickly from the test phase into widespread use.
“The U.S. leadership in artificial intelligence is no coincidence,” said Ashish Madan, head of technology at KPMG in Germany. It is based on the close interaction of investments, research and application. “In the AI economy, advantages compound very quickly: those who scale early gain structural advantages that are difficult to catch up on later.”
Europe is implementing too slowly
Europe is well behind the USA in the overall ranking with 48.8 points. Although the continent has a strong industry and good regulations for technology, these advantages are hardly exploited economically. The introduction of AI in companies is slow; many applications remain stuck in the experimental stage. High electricity prices, a lack of computing power and fragmented financial markets make it difficult to roll out the technology on a large scale.
However, within Europe there is a mixed picture depending on the region: Great Britain and Ireland perform best and are almost at the American level with 69.2 points. The German-speaking countries (Germany, Austria, Switzerland) are in the middle with 54 points. Central and Eastern Europe (28.8 points) and Southern Europe (26.3), on the other hand, fall significantly behind because there is often a lack of money and technical equipment there.
China suffers from a lack of exchange
China lands just behind Europe in the rating with 48.2 points. Although the country is strong in registering AI patents and controls important components for computer technology, cooperation with foreign countries is low. This isolation slows down the exchange of knowledge and often prevents AI from being used profitably in business.
Advice from consultants
The study recommends that Europe strengthen its own independence without isolating itself. In order to catch up, approval procedures would have to be accelerated and more money would have to be made available for growing companies. There is also a need for a reserve of computing power for young companies as well as more skilled workers, also through immigration. The goal must be to reduce technical dependencies and spread AI more quickly across the economy./chd/DP/he