Artificial Intelligence Index Report 2025

2025-04-08

AI Summary

How can the global development trajectory of AI be systematically characterized to inform evidence-based decision-making by diverse stakeholders? This study presents the eighth edition of the AI Index Annual Report, introducing a dynamic, five-dimensional assessment framework encompassing technological advancement (e.g., hardware progress, first-time quantification of inference costs), economic adoption (e.g., enterprise uptake rates), policy and governance (e.g., cross-national regulatory practices), scientific and medical applications, and societal impact. Methodologically, it integrates heterogeneous multi-source data, longitudinal statistical modeling, patent and bibliometric analysis, industry surveys, and expert validation. Key contributions include: (1) the first systematic estimation of AI inference cost trends over time; (2) the inaugural global dataset on enterprise adoption of responsible AI practices; and (3) enhanced empirical analysis of AI’s role in scientific discovery and clinical deployment. Widely cited by *The New York Times*, Bloomberg, and national policymaking bodies, the report serves as an internationally recognized benchmark for AI monitoring and informs AI governance and strategic planning.

Technology Category

• Philosophy and Ethics of AI: Safety, Robustness & Trustworthiness
• Humans and AI: Other Foundations of Human Computation & AI
• Search and Optimization: Evaluation and Analysis

Application Category

• Search and Retrieval-Augmented AI: Web evaluation methodologies and metrics
• Responsible Web: Human-perceived consequences of algorithmic deployment on the web
• Economics, Online Markets and Human Computation: Fairness and ethical considerations in crowd work and in human-in-the-loop AI systems

Abstract

Welcome to the eighth edition of the AI Index report. The 2025 Index is our most comprehensive to date and arrives at an important moment, as AI's influence across society, the economy, and global governance continues to intensify. New in this year's report are in-depth analyses of the evolving landscape of AI hardware, novel estimates of inference costs, and new analyses of AI publication and patenting trends. We also introduce fresh data on corporate adoption of responsible AI practices, along with expanded coverage of AI's growing role in science and medicine. Since its founding in 2017 as an offshoot of the One Hundred Year Study of Artificial Intelligence, the AI Index has been committed to equipping policymakers, journalists, executives, researchers, and the public with accurate, rigorously validated, and globally sourced data. Our mission has always been to help these stakeholders make better-informed decisions about the development and deployment of AI. In a world where AI is discussed everywhere - from boardrooms to kitchen tables - this mission has never been more essential. The AI Index continues to lead in tracking and interpreting the most critical trends shaping the field - from the shifting geopolitical landscape and the rapid evolution of underlying technologies, to AI's expanding role in business, policymaking, and public life. Longitudinal tracking remains at the heart of our mission. In a domain advancing at breakneck speed, the Index provides essential context - helping us understand where AI stands today, how it got here, and where it may be headed next. Recognized globally as one of the most authoritative resources on artificial intelligence, the AI Index has been cited in major media outlets such as The New York Times, Bloomberg, and The Guardian; referenced in hundreds of academic papers; and used by policymakers and government agencies around the world.

Problem

• Analyzes AI hardware evolution and inference costs
• Tracks AI publication and patenting trends globally
• Assesses corporate adoption of responsible AI practices

Innovation

• In-depth analysis of AI hardware evolution
• Novel estimates of AI inference costs
• Tracking AI publication and patent trends