Stanford HAI’s AI Index provides unbiased, rigorously vetted and globally sourced data to help policymakers, researchers, journalists, executives and the public understand AI. The program tracks, collates, distills and visualizes data on technical progress, economic influence, policy, education and societal impact, with work led by an interdisciplinary steering committee spanning academia and industry.
The 2026 AI Index Report highlights a widening gap between AI capabilities and the systems needed to manage them responsibly. Stanford HAI says AI is moving quickly into the global economy as technical performance improves, investment accelerates and adoption expands, while governance, evaluation and public understanding are falling behind. The report emphasizes the growing importance of independent measurement as data transparency declines.
The AI Index is presented as a trusted global resource, cited by major media outlets, academic researchers and policymakers in the United States, the United Kingdom and the European Union. Related work includes research on measuring AI policy challenges and a collaboration to develop a judicial decision database intended to improve predictability and legal certainty for AI providers and users.
