TheAIMaturityMatrixWhichEconomiesAreReadyforAI?November2024ByChristianSchwaerzler,MiguelCarrasco,ChristopherDaniel,BrookeBollyky,YoshihisaNiwa,AparnaBharadwaj,AkramAwad,RichardSargeant,SanjayNawandhar,andSvetlanaKostikovaContents03Introduction04KeyFindings05TheRelationshipBetweenExposureandReadiness10TheArchetypesofAIAdoption15StrategicNextSteps17Methodology21AbouttheAuthorsBOSTONCONSULTINGGROUPTHEAIMATURITYMATRIX:WHICHECONOMIESAREREADYFORAI?3IntroductionViewsvaryonhowmuchAIischangingtheworldtoday,butonethingisclear:thetechnologyisoncoursetoshapethefutureofeconomicdevelopment.Businessleadersexpectlargeimpactsonoperationsandvaluecreationinthe3-to-10-yeartimeframe,andworld-widespendingonartificialintelligencewillmorethandoubleto$632billionby2028.1Thelong-term,expansivescaleofthisgrowthmakesAIaneconomicpriorityineveryregionacrosstheglobe.ThisgrowthalsoaddsurgencytothequestionsthatpolicymakersfaceaboutAI.IsasocietyabletobuildanAI-skilledworkforceinkeysectors?Howwillagovernmentsetupresilient,moderninfrastructure?HowdoesanationspurenoughinvestmentandR&Dtostaycompetitive?BCG’snewAIMaturityMatrixassesses73globaleconomiestoanswersomeofthesekeyquestions.2Thismatrixprovidesabroadviewofglobaladoption:mosteconomiesaregraduallyadoptingAI,butthereisasmall,influentialgroupofAIpioneersthattaketheirplaceasleaders.Theirprizeiseconomicadvantage,buttheyarealsopoisedtoshapehowhumanitywillinteractwiththispowerfullydisruptivetechnology.Byfocusingontwopivotalaspects,thisreportoffersauniqueapproachtoviewingtheglobaldynamicsofAIadoption.First,weexamineeacheconomy’sexposuretoAI-drivendisruptions.WedefineexposureasthepotentialforAItoimpactasectorinaneconomynegativelyorpositively.Wethenassesseacheconomy’sreadinesstoharnessAI’spotentialforgrowthandtomitigatepotentialrisks.TheresultingmatrixbringstogetherthesefactorstopresentsixarchetypesofAIeconomicdevelopmentandpotential.Weofferrecommendationstailoredtothedifferentgroupstoguidepolicymakers—andprovideaninteractivedashboardforamoredetailedexplorationofouranalysis.1.“AIIsShowing‘VeryPositive’SignsofEventuallyBoostingGDPandProductivity,”GoldmanSachswebsite,May13,2024;“WorldwideSpendingonArtificialIntelligenceForecasttoReach$632Billionin2028,AccordingtoaNewIDCSpendingGuide,”IDCwebsite,August19,2024.2.Detailsoftheselectionprocessareavailableinthemethodologysection.KeyFindingsOutof73economiesassessed,onlyfive—Canada,MainlandChina,Singapore,theUK,andtheUS—arecategorizedasAIpioneers.Theyhavereachedahighlevelofreadinessbyblendingelementslikeinvestmentandinfrastructure,turningdisruptionintoacompetitiveedge.Theyareinauniquepositiontoguidetheworldforwardininnovation,talentdevelopment,andAIregulationandethics.SeveraleconomieswithhighAIreadinessarejustbehindthepaceofAIpioneers.WhilethisgroupofAIcontendersincludesestablishedeconomies,italsofeaturesemergingoneslikeIndia,SaudiArabia,andtheUAEthatareusingpolicyandtargetedinvestmentstoadoptAIonanadvancedlevel.Astheseeconomiesstrengthentheirinnovationcapabilities,theywillgrowmorecompetitiveandinfluentialintheAIspace.MosteconomiesinthestudyarenotreadyforAIdisruption.Morethan70%scorebelowthehalfwaymarkincategorieslikeecosystemparticipation,skills,andR&D.PolicymakersmustactnowtoadjusttoaworldofAIandboostresiliency,productivity,jobs,modernization,andcompetitiveness.BOSTONCONSULTINGGROUPTHEAIMATURITYMATRIX:WHICH...