Issue 01 · November 2026Verified factsLinked sourcesBilingual
Prisma
ESEN
Topic 02

Artificial
intelligence

What it is, how it's used, how much energy it needs, what risks experts document and how it's regulated.

Updated Nov 8, 202612 sources7-min read
Survey88 %Of surveyed organizations used AI in at least one function in 2025 (78% in 2024).2
Measured$344.7Billion dollars of global private AI investment in 2025, up 127.5% from 2024.1
Estimate53 %Population adoption of generative AI within three years, faster than the PC or the internet.1
Estimate29.6 GWPower capacity of AI data centers.1
Measured3,443AI-generated child sexual abuse videos the IWF identified in 2025; in 2024 there were 13.4

01What is AI?

Software that learns patterns from large amounts of data to predict, classify or generate content: text, images, audio or code.

“Generative” AI (such as chatbots) produces new content. Training and running models happens mainly in data centers.3

Training

The model learns patterns from data.

Using (inference)

Each question or task asked of the trained model.

02Pros and cons

The best-documented benefits and harms, each with a figure and its source.

Pros

  1. 200million proteinsScienceAlphaFold2 predicted the structure of virtually all identified proteins; its creators shared the 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.10
    Science and health

    Source 10: The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2024 — Press release — Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences · NobelPrize.org · Oct 9, 2024.

    Open the original document ↗ · See in Sources

  2. +14 %issues resolved per hourProductivityCustomer-support agents using an AI assistant; novice or less-skilled agents, +34% (study of 5,179 agents).11
    Economy and jobs

    Source 11: Generative AI at Work (Working Paper 31161) — E. Brynjolfsson, D. Li, L. Raymond · NBER; later published in the Quarterly Journal of Economics (2025) · Apr 2023, rev. Nov 2023.

    Open the original document ↗ · See in Sources

  3. −83 %time on clinical notesMedicineUp to 83% less time writing notes, reported by physicians across several hospital systems.1
    Science and health

    Source 1: Inside the AI Index: 12 Takeaways from the 2026 Report — Stanford HAI · Apr 13, 2026.

    Open the original document ↗ · See in Sources

  4. $172billion a yearValue to usersEstimated value of generative AI tools to US consumers by early 2026.1
    Economy and jobs

    Source 1: Inside the AI Index: 12 Takeaways from the 2026 Report — Stanford HAI · Apr 13, 2026.

    Open the original document ↗ · See in Sources

  5. ~5 %of emissions · 2035Climate and energyPossible cut in energy-related emissions from adopting existing AI applications; larger than data center emissions.9
    Energy and climate

    Source 9: Energy and AI — Executive summary — International Energy Agency (IEA) · Apr 2025.

    Open the original document ↗ · See in Sources

  6. 30–50 %shorter outagesPower gridReduction in outage duration with AI-based fault detection.9
    Energy and climate

    Source 9: Energy and AI — Executive summary — International Energy Agency (IEA) · Apr 2025.

    Open the original document ↗ · See in Sources

Cons

  1. −20 %jobs, ages 22–25Entry-level jobsDrop in employment of young software developers since 2024, while older colleagues' headcount grows.1
    Economy and jobs

    Source 1: Inside the AI Index: 12 Takeaways from the 2026 Report — Stanford HAI · Apr 13, 2026.

    Open the original document ↗ · See in Sources

  2. 3,443videos in 2025Child abuseAI-generated child sexual abuse videos identified by the IWF; there were 13 in 2024.4
    Society and security

    Source 4: Harm without limits: AI child sexual abuse material through the eyes of our Analysts (AI CSAM Report 2026) — Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) · 2026.

    Open the original document ↗ · See in Sources

  3. 72,816t CO₂eEnvironmental footprintEstimated training emissions of Grok 4; annual GPT-4o inference water use may exceed the drinking water of 1.2 million people.1
    Energy and climate

    Source 1: Inside the AI Index: 12 Takeaways from the 2026 Report — Stanford HAI · Apr 13, 2026.

    Open the original document ↗ · See in Sources

  4. 40/100transparencyOpacityAverage Foundation Model Transparency Index score (58 the year before).1
    Society and security

    Source 1: Inside the AI Index: 12 Takeaways from the 2026 Report — Stanford HAI · Apr 13, 2026.

    Open the original document ↗ · See in Sources

  5. 10–100×more false positivesBiasIn face verification, many algorithms erred more on Asian and African American faces than on Caucasian ones (NIST, 2019; varies by algorithm).12
    Society and security

    Source 12: NIST Study Evaluates Effects of Race, Age, Sex on Face Recognition Software (NISTIR 8280) — National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) · Dec 19, 2019.

    Open the original document ↗ · See in Sources

  6. 3×cyberattacks in 4 yearsSecurityCyberattacks on utilities have tripled and AI makes them more sophisticated; AI is also used to defend against them.9
    Society and security

    Source 9: Energy and AI — Executive summary — International Energy Agency (IEA) · Apr 2025.

    Open the original document ↗ · See in Sources

Order does not indicate importance. Several figures come from specific case studies and cannot be generalized to the whole economy. The IEA cautions that AI can help cut emissions but does not replace public policy.

03How it's used

Organizations using AI

% of respondents saying their organization uses AI in at least one function. McKinsey survey cited by the AI Index 2026; self-reported. Move the slider to change year.

AI 2024: 78% · AI 2025: 88% · Generative AI 2024: 71% · Generative AI 2025: 79%0255075100%78 %2024AI88 %2025AI71 %2024Generative AI79 %2025Generative AI
Any AIGenerative AI (regular use)
Organizations using AI
20242025
AI78%88%
Gen AI71%79%

Source: Stanford AI Index 2026, cap. 42. The AI Index shows earlier years only in a chart; we use the two years with figures stated in the text.

Private AI investment, 2025

Billions of US dollars. China's figure likely understates its spending, since much flows through state funds.

US: $285.9 billion · China: $12.4 billion0100200300USD billions$285.9US$12.4China
Private AI investment, 2025
USD bn
US285.9
China12.4

Source: Stanford AI Index 20261

4 / 5

US students

In high school and college use AI for schoolwork; only half of middle and high schools have AI policies.1

up to 83 %

less note-writing time

Reported by physicians using tools that draft clinical notes automatically.1

28.3 %

US adoption

Of generative AI in the population; the US ranks 24th. Singapore: 61%.1

04Energy: the link to data centers

Electricity use by accelerated servers, used mainly for AI, would grow 30% a year to 2030 in the IEA base case.3

See data centers →

~half

of the net increase

In data center electricity to 2030 would come from accelerated servers.3

29.6 GW

AI data center capacity

Per the AI Index, similar to New York State's peak demand.1

05Documented risks

AI-generated child sexual abuse material

The Internet Watch Foundation (IWF), a UK organization that finds and removes this material, published the 2026 report “Harm without limits”.4

  • In 2025 it assessed 8,029 AI-generated images and videos as realistic child sexual abuse.4
  • It identified 3,443 AI-generated videos, versus 13 in 2024; 65% in the most severe category.4
  • Girls appear in 97% of the illegal AI-generated images it assessed.4
40 / 100

transparency

Average Foundation Model Transparency Index score, down from 58 the year before.1

~20 %

fewer young workers

Drop in employment of software developers aged 22–25 since 2024.1

59 % / 52 %

optimism / nervousness

In a global survey: optimistic about its benefits and nervous about the technology.1

06How it's regulated

Timeline of the EU AI Act and two US laws. Tap a milestone to see what changes.

  1. European UnionIn effect

    The phased application timeline starts.5

  2. European UnionIn effect

    Prohibited practices and the AI literacy obligation apply.5

  3. United StatesIn effect

    Federal law (P.L. 119-12) against non-consensual publication of intimate images, real or AI-generated; platforms must remove them within 48 hours of notice.8

  4. European UnionIn effect

    Rules for general-purpose AI models.5

  5. United StatesIn effect

    Transparency in Frontier AI Act: large developers publish their safety framework; creates a channel to report critical incidents and protects whistleblowers.7

  6. European UnionIn effect

    Amends the AI Act: postpones high-risk rules and adds new prohibitions.6

  7. European UnionIn effect

    Most obligations apply, including transparency.5

07Myth or fact?

  1. 1Generative AI reached 53% of the population within three years, faster than the PC or the internet.

    Show answer

    Fact. That is what the AI Index 2026 reports.1

  2. 2The US has the world's highest generative AI adoption.

    Show answer

    Myth. The US ranks 24th at 28.3%; Singapore reaches 61%.1

  3. 3All EU AI Act rules already apply.

    Show answer

    Myth. High-risk rules were postponed to December 2027 and August 2028.6

  4. 4An AI model was recognized with the 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.

    Show answer

    Fact. Half of the prize went to Demis Hassabis and John Jumper for AlphaFold2, which predicts protein structures.10

08FAQ

What is the AI Index?
An annual report from Stanford's Institute for Human-Centered AI (HAI) that compiles data on AI research, economics, policy and public opinion.1
Are adoption figures exact?
They are surveys: the AI Index itself warns that self-reported data should be read as directional.2
Does AI use a lot of energy?
It is growing fast, though data centers remain a small share of global electricity use (about 1.5% in 2024).3
Where is online child abuse material reported?
In the US, to NCMEC's CyberTipline (report.cybertip.org); in the UK, to the IWF (report.iwf.org.uk). Never download or share it.

09Sources

  1. Inside the AI Index: 12 Takeaways from the 2026 ReportStanford HAI · Apr 13, 2026 · Accessed Nov 8, 2026
  2. AI Index Report 2026 — Chapter 4: Economy [PDF]Stanford HAI · 2026 · Accessed Nov 8, 2026
  3. Energy and AI — Energy demand from AIInternational Energy Agency (IEA) · Apr 2025 · Accessed Nov 8, 2026
  4. Harm without limits: AI child sexual abuse material through the eyes of our Analysts (AI CSAM Report 2026)Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) · 2026 · Accessed Nov 8, 2026
  5. Timeline for the Implementation of the EU AI ActComisión Europea · AI Act Service Desk · Accessed Nov 8, 2026
  6. AI Omnibus enters into forceComisión Europea · Shaping Europe's digital future · Jul 27, 2026 · Accessed Nov 8, 2026
  7. Governor Newsom signs SB 53, advancing California's world-leading artificial intelligence industryOffice of the Governor of California (gov.ca.gov) · Sep 29, 2025 · Accessed Nov 8, 2026
  8. S.146 — TAKE IT DOWN Act (Public Law 119-12)Congress.gov · May 19, 2025 · Accessed Nov 8, 2026
  9. Energy and AI — Executive summaryInternational Energy Agency (IEA) · Apr 2025 · Accessed Nov 8, 2026
  10. The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2024 — Press releaseRoyal Swedish Academy of Sciences · NobelPrize.org · Oct 9, 2024 · Accessed Nov 8, 2026
  11. Generative AI at Work (Working Paper 31161)E. Brynjolfsson, D. Li, L. Raymond · NBER; later published in the Quarterly Journal of Economics (2025) · Apr 2023, rev. Nov 2023 · Accessed Nov 8, 2026
  12. NIST Study Evaluates Effects of Race, Age, Sex on Face Recognition Software (NISTIR 8280)National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) · Dec 19, 2019 · Accessed Nov 8, 2026

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