Stanford University: The 2025 AI Index Report

“AI’s influence on society has never been more pronounced.”

The 2025 AI Index from Stanford’s Institute for Human-Centred AI offers one of the broadest data-driven panoramas of how artificial intelligence is evolving across research, industry, policy, and society. The report tracks changes in model capabilities, costs, adoption, governance, and public sentiment. It reveals that frontier AI models are becoming more powerful at a rapid clip, while the cost of running them is falling dramatically. Similarly, AI deployment is expanding from corporate use and startup growth to integration into scientific research and public infrastructure.

Despite these gains, the report also flags several structural and ethical tensions. Industry remains the dominant engine of innovation, outpacing public sector and academic efforts in scaling frontier models. Policymaking and regulation are struggling to keep up with technological momentum, resulting in fragmented and reactive governance. Public opinion reflects ambivalence: many expect AI to profoundly affect daily life, yet concerns persist over equity, accountability, transparency, and the broader social consequences of unfettered AI adoption.