WORLD- A report presented on Wednesday at the World Economic Forum in Davos by the global consulting firm KPMG revealed that the United States holds a clear lead in the race to develop artificial intelligence, followed by Europe, which in turn maintains a slight edge over China.

The findings are based on the Strategic AI Capability Index, developed by KPMG in cooperation with Oxford Economics in the United Kingdom, drawing on data collected from 900 decision-makers worldwide.

The United States scored 75.2 out of 100, a result attributed to the speed and breadth with which American companies have adopted AI technologies in their day-to-day operations, as well as the availability of powerful computing infrastructure within highly efficient financial markets.

The report also highlights the strength of scientific research in the United States and the availability of a skilled workforce capable of rapidly transferring AI solutions from the experimental phase to real-world applications.

Europe ranked second with a score of 48.8, benefiting from a strong industrial base and well-developed regulatory frameworks for technology.

However, these advantages are not being fully translated into economic gains, as the integration of AI into the business sector remains slow, with many applications still confined to pilot or testing stages.

According to the report, high energy costs, limited computing capacity, and fragmented financial markets are among the key factors hindering large-scale AI deployment across Europe.

Within Europe, the United Kingdom and Ireland led the region with a combined score of 69.2, followed by German-speaking countries at 54 points, while Central, Eastern, and Southern European countries scored below 30.

China scored 48.2 points, benefiting from a strong record of AI-related patent registrations and control over key computing components.

However, limited cooperation with other countries has slowed knowledge exchange and constrained the commercially profitable use of AI technologies.

The study recommends that Europe strengthen its AI autonomy without becoming isolated, while accelerating licensing procedures and providing greater funding for startups.

It also stresses the need to expand computing capacity for emerging companies, attract more qualified talent, including through immigration, reduce external technological dependence, and speed up the transfer of AI applications into the real economy.