U.S.-China AI model gap narrows as U.S. leads in data centers

The performance gap between United States and Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) models has “effectively closed,” even as the United States maintains a strong lead in data center infrastructure and investment, according to a new report released April 13 by the Stanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence.

The report finds that AI top models from the two countries have traded the lead multiple times since early 2025, with the top U.S. model ahead by just 2.7% as of March 2026.

At the same time, the United States hosts 5,427 data centers – more than 10 times the number of any other country – and leads in private AI investment, which reached $285.9 billion in 2025, although its ability to attract global AI talent has declined.

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