Seoul tops global AI implementation as Singapore enters top tier
The global race to lead artificial intelligence is usually framed as a contest between countries: the US versus China, with Europe, India and a handful of others trying to carve out space. A new ranking argues that this view misses where much of the action is actually happening. The Observer’s inaugural AI Cities Index, released […] The post Seoul tops global AI implementation as Singapore enters…
A new ranking highlights AI implementation at the metropolitan level, revealing a shift in AI power towards Asian hubs. The Observer's AI Cities Index examines investment, innovation, and implementation in 57 cities across 36 countries. While the US, led by San Francisco and New York, maintains its strength in frontier AI research and commercialization, East and Southeast Asian cities are rapidly closing the gap.
Seoul leads global AI implementation, reflecting South Korea's focus on digital infrastructure, advanced manufacturing, and semiconductors. The city hosts major technology firms like Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, driving the AI hardware boom. Seoul's Seoul AI Innovation Committee supports SMEs lacking in-house AI talent or infrastructure, emphasizing policy-driven adoption over mere research lab presence.
Tokyo and Singapore follow Seoul, ranking third and fifth in implementation, respectively. Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Beijing also appear in the top 10. In contrast, US cities like San Francisco and New York exhibit fragmented adoption, often at pilot scale despite deep private-sector innovation. US cities continue to produce more frontier AI models, but Chinese labs have narrowed the performance gap to 2.7%, down from 31.6% in 2023.
The narrowing gap matters for Asia's startup ecosystem, as cheaper high-performing AI models become more accessible.
Written by urgent.news from e27's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
