Strong innovation, huge amounts of capital, and widespread diffusion of emerging tech have placed the UK, US, Singapore, Canada, and Germany at the forefront of AI-driven transformation, according to Salesforce’s new Global AI Readiness Index.

Salesforce’s research found that these nations demonstrate more institutional coordination, advanced digital infrastructure, and active engagement from both the public and private sectors when it comes to AI adoption, while others are still building foundational capabilities.

Examining 31 AI readiness indicators across sixteen countries, Salesforce developed an average score of 22.1, with the UK (25.8) and Singapore (26.5) most comfortably outperforming peer nations.

However, the US stands head and shoulders above its international competition, with a score of 39.7 across the Salesforce Index.

According to the report, the United States benefits from a strong tech pipeline, a world-renowned startup ecosystem, and extensive capital markets, making the country a clear innovation leader, underpinned by a deep AI research capability, high patent output, and globally dominant AI companies.

However, the US has slightly fallen behind when it comes to the depth and implementation of new AI regulatory frameworks and national strategy. 

While still a top performer, Salesforce found that the UK, Singapore and even Australia have done more than the US in these areas, for example by building regulatory sandboxes and establishing procurement standards to build trust in the real‑world applications of AI.

Innovation Without Infrastructure

Interestingly, although the US came top in both AI innovation capacity and investment conditions, the country performed relatively poorly when it came to the adoption of AI across the economy and government, scoring 6.3 (fairly close to the average of 5.8) and coming behind the likes of South Korea, Saudi Arabia, and Indonesia. 

As the US is arguably more focused on building its AI competitiveness through the markets, it has not seen the same public sector focus of countries like the UK, which has pushed for AI integration into national institutions like the NHS, or Canada, Australia and Germany, which Salesforce said are integrating AI into industry and smart city initiatives. 

Meanwhile, other nations further down the Index, such as Mexico, Brazil, and Argentina, are making strides in AI strategy, despite their innovation capacity being especially constrained by limited R&D funding, sparse research networks, and weak links between academia and industry. 

These countries are also struggling with their AI skills pipeline, with Salesforce identifying educational challenges, limited reskilling opportunities, and institutional fragmentation, severely limiting talent development.

In contrast, Germany, the United States, Singapore, and the UK are leading the way, with policy‑backed national upskilling strategies, while Australia, India, and Italy are investing strongly in digital skills, though scale and accessibility are still presenting roadblocks.

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Salesforce said that investing in human capital is a decisive factor in a country’s AI readiness, with those creating AI‑focused education initiatives and talent pipelines better positioned to support responsible deployment.

“The findings show that our collective ability to leverage digital labour for successful human-AI partnerships hinges not just on technological advancements, but also on a concerted effort to establish governance and skill up our workforce,” said Aliki Foinikopoulou, senior director of Global Public Policy at Salesforce. 

“Countries that act decisively to boost adoption, align their strategies, and invest in skills will be best positioned to lead and benefit from the next profound phase of AI-driven transformation.”