The 2024 AI Index Report, the seventh edition, is the most comprehensive to date, covering significant AI trends, including technical advancements, public perceptions, and geopolitical dynamics. This edition features new estimates on AI training costs, detailed analyses of the responsible AI landscape, and a new chapter on AI’s impact on science and medicine. The report aims to provide unbiased, rigorously vetted data for policymakers, researchers, executives, journalists, and the general public to understand AI better .
Key Messages from Co-directors
A decade ago, AI struggled with basic tasks. Today, AI systems like GPT-4, Gemini, and Claude 3 surpass human performance in various benchmarks and are increasingly integrated into daily life. Despite these advancements, AI still faces challenges with complex reasoning and factual reliability. The future of AI involves balancing technological improvements and societal impacts, with governments playing a crucial role in funding research and managing risks such as job displacement and privacy concerns .
Top 10 Takeaways
- AI vs. Humans: AI outperforms humans in tasks like image classification and language understanding but lags in complex tasks like advanced mathematics and reasoning.
- Industry Dominance: In 2023, industry produced the majority of notable AI models, with significant contributions from industry-academia collaborations.
- Rising Costs: Training state-of-the-art AI models is becoming increasingly expensive.
- Global Leaders: The United States leads in AI model development, followed by the EU and China.
- Lack of Standardisation: There’s a significant lack of standardisation in evaluating the responsibility of large language models (LLMs).
- Generative AI Investment: Investment in generative AI surged despite an overall decline in AI private investment.
- Productivity Gains: AI has been shown to enhance worker productivity and quality of work.
- Scientific Progress: AI continues to accelerate scientific discovery and innovation.
- Regulatory Increase: The number of AI-related regulations in the U.S. has significantly increased.
- Public Perception: Public awareness and nervousness about AI’s impact have grown globally .
Research and Development
AI research and development trends include a sharp increase in the number of AI publications and patents, dominated by industry contributions. The number of foundation models released has more than doubled, with a significant proportion being open-source. Training costs for cutting-edge AI models have reached unprecedented levels .
Technical Performance
2023 saw the release of several significant AI models, with notable improvements in language and image generation capabilities. The highest-performing models came from industry, with closed models significantly outperforming open ones .
Responsible AI
The report highlights a lack of standardisation in responsible AI reporting, complicating the comparison of risks and limitations across different models. The need for robust and standardised evaluations is emphasised to ensure responsible AI development .
Economic Impact
AI investment, particularly in generative AI, has seen substantial growth. AI’s integration into businesses is increasing, with more mentions in Fortune 500 earnings calls and studies showing tangible boosts in worker productivity .
AI in Science and Medicine
AI is playing an increasingly significant role in scientific research and medical applications, accelerating progress and innovation in these fields .
Education and Diversity
The report addresses diversity trends in AI education and conferences, highlighting efforts to track and improve representation across different demographics .
Policy and Governance
Governments are more involved in AI regulation, with a marked increase in AI-related legislative actions. The public’s growing awareness and concern about AI’s potential impacts are influencing policy directions .
Public Opinion
Surveys indicate that a significant portion of the global population is aware of AI’s potential impact on their lives, with a noticeable increase in nervousness towards AI products and services .