A Harvard study ranks 25 countries across five tech sectors: AI, semiconductors, biotechnology, space, and quantum technology. The United States leads overall, but other nations are rapidly closing the gap.
While the US holds a significant lead in AI due to early breakthroughs and dominant companies like OpenAI and Nvidia, China is a strong competitor. China's cost-effective AI models, relaxed data privacy rules, and substantial talent pool in computer science and engineering pose a significant challenge. China's researchers published a higher percentage of AI papers than the US and Europe in 2023. India, despite its potential, lags due to underinvestment and insufficient training data.
The US maintains an advantage in chip design, but East Asian countries—China, Japan, Taiwan, and South Korea—excel in manufacturing capacity and access to specialized materials. China's high ranking stems from its massive lower-end chip production, though it lacks advanced-node facilities. The index also underscores the importance of critical chokepoints in the global supply chain like ASML (Netherlands) and TSMC (Taiwan).
The US leads in biotechnology, primarily due to its strengths in vaccine research and genetic engineering. However, China's lead in drug production and larger biotech scientific workforce suggests a potential future shift in dominance. Europe underperforms commercially despite strong academic contributions. Russia shows relative strength only in the space sector, a legacy of its Soviet past.
The US's technological leadership is threatened by policies that deter foreign talent and cut research funding. Conversely, China's coordinated and practical AI development highlights the shift towards prioritizing implementation over theoretical breakthroughs. The future balance of global power may depend not only on innovation, but also on the efficient deployment of technology.