Michelle Kim

Stanford's 2026 AI Index shows that despite plateau predictions, top AI models continue improving rapidly, with US and Chinese competitors now nearly matched in performance. The report reveals AI adoption outpacing personal computers and the internet, but infrastructure demands are staggering: data centers consume 29.6 gigawatts globally, and water usage from GPT-4o alone could exceed the drinking needs of 12 million people. Meanwhile, transparency in AI development has collapsed as leading companies withhold training details, making independent safety research harder.