Countries leading the way in AI

 Merely one mention of artificial intelligence invokes the pictures of robots, chatbots, or self-driving cars. Artificial intelligence, a branch of computer science deals with devising technology and machines that are capable of performing tasks that require human intelligence. AI is everywhere and it has not stepped down since its invasion. The new decade will witness massive investments by global technology giants into AI technologies.

In the race to acquire and develop the most efficient and ingenious technologies, countries worldwide have been setting guidelines and investing immensely in the field of AI. Following are the statistics of the global AI readiness Index conducted by Oxford Insights and the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) in 2019. The index covers 194 countries and territories and ranks them according to their preparedness to implement AI in the delivery of public services and internal operations. Each country is allocated a score that considers 11 input metrics under 4 clusters: governance, infrastructure and data, skills and education, and government and public services. The report suggests that the rankings are dominated by countries that have robust economies, an abundance of data and information, and a government with a strong vision.

• Singapore comes first in the list of artificial intelligence readiness with a score of 9.186.
• The top 20 positions are acquired by Canada, New Zealand, Australia, and some European countries, and Asian countries. China, currently 21st in the global rankings will improve in the upcoming years because of the government’s inclination to optimize data and artificial intelligence.
• Most of the countries in North America were awarded higher ranks in the list while the African and Asia-Pacific regions were the worst performers.

• India stands third in the Asia Pacific region after Singapore and Hong Kong and 19th in the global index overall. According to surveys, it is one of the most prepared economies with regard to government readiness to artificial intelligence. But despite this availability, it lacks creativity, innovation, and awareness which are the reasons behind Indian start-ups lagging behind those of the American and other developed countries. 76% of start-ups in India believe that there is a dearth of skilled professionals in the field of AI and hence hesitate from using these technologies in their business. But the established companies like Amazon, Google, and Apple are employing AI technologies like deep learning, language processing, and machine learning and are acquiring start-ups to provide new and improved experiences across their services.

Singapore’s artificial intelligence industry will be booming in the upcoming decade. Singapore is one of the first countries to announce a national AI strategy in 2017. One of the most effective ideas that were put into action by the government of Singapore to achieve this was the establishment of the AI Ethics Advisory Council. This council has been established to assist the government to develop standards and guidelines and issue practical guidance for the voluntary adoption of AI in businesses and organizations. (Everything you need to know about Singapore’s AI strategy)

Singapore is a trailblazer in the Asia-Pacific region when it comes to accepting new technologies. Singapore has chosen five big AI-driven development projects that address national challenges keeping into consideration the impact on society and economy with an aim to become the global hub of AI technologies. Also, educational institutions there have increased emphasis on fields such as mathematics, statistics, computer science, and information technology to allow students to understand the significance and trend of data science, machine learning, and artificial intelligence. Business and management organizations too are focusing on data trends as well apart from their regular curriculum (Analyze data and build stunning reports using our services). UAE and Singapore were trendsetters in bringing AI decision-making at the cabinet-level. They have justified the strengths and strategies that have the potential to make these countries the leading producers of AI technologies.

Present and expected Scenario

China, USA, Japan, United Kingdom, andGermany are the leading countries in AI research. China recently announced its intention to become ‘a principal world center of artificial intelligence innovation’ by 2030. And America’s distinct pool of research technology knowledge and business market power will contribute to helping them achieve their AI development objectives.

Although the United States remains highly invested in AI and the latest technologies, it seems likely that China might win over America in the race. Despite having the 5 tech-giants – Amazon, Facebook, Apple, Google, and Microsoft, it looks as if the US will be lagging behind developing countries like China. In the US, the resources are available in ample amounts but are fragmented and the potential isn’t utilized efficiently. Also, the national leadership is quite weak and there is a lack of systematic vision.

On the other hand, China apart from having the latest computers, smartphones, gadgets and other electronic devices is now focusing on system-wide AI. This includes robotics, advanced medical equipment, and autonomous vehicles (AVs). China’s growing internet economy and shift of industries towards data analytics and AI trends will be a major contributing factor in its AI boom. Some examples of Chinese AI companies that are developing are UBTECH Robotics which is developing humanoid robots and SenseTime which is building facial recognition technology.

Thus, although the United States still remains ahead of others in the AI industry, if China implements the policies and strategies effectively, it will soon manage to replace the USA. Therefore, from the increasing demand and usage of AI-driven technologies, it can be concluded that AI, machine learning, and data science will thrive as the most in-demand skills in the near future.