When The Observer released its 2025 Global AI Index, ranking 93 countries according to their artificial intelligence capabilities, the findings sent ripples through governments, boardrooms and university laboratories around the world. Now regarded as one of the most influential measures of digital power, the index delivers a stark message: in the age of AI, competitiveness is being rewritten at extraordinary speed.
Across continents, countries are scrambling for advantage, not only in technological capability but in their ability to convert AI into economic growth, political influence and global leadership. Between the established superpowers and the fast-rising innovators sits a continent that has too often been overlooked in the digital race. Yet the latest index suggests Africa's position is beginning to shift.
A global race dominated by giantsThe top of the table holds few surprises. The United States retains the number one position with a perfect score, reinforcing its status as the world's pre-eminent AI power. From Silicon Valley's multi-billion-dollar laboratories to large-scale federal investment, the US leads across research, infrastructure and talent.
