AI Everything Today

Artificial intelligence is no longer just a buzzword. It’s transforming the way we live, work, and think at a pace that’s faster than any previous wave of technology. From user growth to compute power, from industry adoption to geopolitical competition, the rise of AI is rewriting the rules for nearly every sector.

In this post, we explore the key trends shaping AI today and how they are impacting global business, technology, and society.

This post is a summary of the Mary Meeker AI Report.
You can read the full original report here.

AI Adoption Is Growing at Breakneck Speed

It took Google over a decade to reach the scale of 365 billion annual searches. ChatGPT hit the same milestone in just two years.

This is not a coincidence. AI tools like ChatGPT have benefited from the internet’s infrastructure, widespread mobile access, and the increasing availability of data. More than 800 million people are already using ChatGPT weekly. The user ramp has been faster than for any digital product before it.

Compare that to other tech milestones:

• ChatGPT reached 1 million users in 5 days
• TikTok took about 9 months
• Instagram needed nearly 2.5 months
• Netflix? 3.5 years

AI is not just being adopted quickly. It’s being adopted everywhere, all at once.

The Cost of Training AI Models Is Rising, but Usage Costs Are Falling

Building powerful models requires massive compute resources. The cost of training has increased over 360% annually over the past 15 years. But there’s good news. While training is expensive, the cost of using these models, known as inference, has dropped significantly.

That means more developers can access high-performing AI tools. Performance is becoming less about access to resources and more about smart usage. This trend is opening doors for smaller teams and startups to innovate without needing the resources of tech giants.

Industry Spending on AI Is Surging

The largest US tech companies, Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, Google, Meta, and NVIDIA, collectively spent over $212 billion on capital expenditures in 2024, a 63% increase from a decade ago. A significant share of that spending is now directed at AI infrastructure, including GPUs, data centers, and model training.

And it’s not just big tech. Enterprises across healthcare, finance, and even fast-food are rolling out AI-powered systems for automation, customer service, and decision support.

AI in the Workplace Is Real and Growing Fast

Job postings for AI-related roles in the U.S. have jumped by 448% since 2018. Non-AI IT job postings, by contrast, dropped by 9%.

This is a clear signal that the labor market is shifting. While fears of job loss due to AI are valid, the data shows that new roles are emerging rapidly. Enterprises are looking for talent who can build, manage, and adapt AI tools into their workflows.

Open Source and Global Competition Are Changing the Game

AI is no longer a US-dominated game. China’s large models are rapidly gaining traction, not only domestically but in global usage. At the same time, open-source models are growing in popularity. In 2024 alone, over 100 new open-source AI models were released globally.

This dynamic is creating pressure on closed commercial models. Developers and businesses now have more choice than ever, which could reshape monetization strategies across the board.

AI Meets the Physical World

From autonomous taxis to industrial robotics, AI is no longer confined to screens. In cities like San Francisco, autonomous taxi services have already gained a measurable share of ride bookings. Meanwhile, industrial robots, powered by AI, are being deployed at scale in China, the US, and beyond.

This shows a clear move from digital-only applications to real-world, physical outcomes powered by artificial intelligence.

Knowledge Distribution Has Evolved Again

In the 1400s, the printing press made knowledge physical and replicable. In the 1990s, the internet made it digital. In 2022, the release of ChatGPT brought generative AI to the public. We now live in an era of instant content creation, search, translation, and reasoning.

This new format of knowledge—generated rather than stored—is already changing education, work, and entertainment.

AI Is a Geopolitical Force

Tech development has always had geopolitical consequences. But AI brings a new layer of urgency. Nations are now racing to secure leadership not just in military or economic terms, but also in data, compute, and AI infrastructure.

The U.S., China, and Europe are investing in sovereign AI systems. Leadership in AI may soon equate to global leadership.

Optimism and Risk Go Hand in Hand

The possibilities are enormous. AI can accelerate medical research, improve productivity, and offer personalized services at scale. But the risks are real too—bias, misinformation, surveillance, and misuse are growing concerns.

It is vital that AI development is guided not only by innovation but also by responsibility and governance.

Final Thoughts

The speed at which AI is growing is unlike anything we have seen before. It’s already influencing our work, shaping our economies, and redefining our global relationships.

For businesses, governments, and individuals, the question is not whether to adopt AI. The question is how fast you can do it—and how wisely.

The future of AI is not just coming. It’s already here.