United States
of America

Why The US Is An AI Leader In The Industry 5.0 Era

The United States is a world leader in innovation and competitiveness. The country is ranked 13th on the International Institute for Management Development’s World Competitiveness Ranking and third on the World Intellectual Property Organization’s Global Innovation Index. Many of the leading tech firms in California’s Silicon Valley are aggressively exploring artificial intelligence development while committing billions to new data centers.

The focus on AI resonates with US executives. Ninety-five percent of CEOs say AI is an opportunity for their company, while 49% rank technology and AI as a top driver of long-term competitiveness, according to an Oliver Wyman Forum survey of 165 CEOs of New York Stock Exchange-listed companies completed in April 2025. Two out of five CEOs said one of their biggest AI-related risks is not moving fast enough and being left behind.

The United States’ strengths lie in an expanding digital infrastructure for AI, a strong national vision for AI uptake, and plans to upskill workforces.

Resilience

A strong digital infrastructure is buzzing with activity from the private sector

The US Department of Energy announced in July 2025 four federal land sites slated for AI data center and energy generation projects with the private sector. Meanwhile, three tech firms announced Stargate, a $500 billion plan to build new AI data centers in the US, and a separate tech giant is investing more than $7 billion to build two data centers in Wisconsin.

Separately, the Department of Energy announced in October 2025 a partnership with two tech firms to build the department’s largest AI supercomputer by 2026, intended to hasten scientific discoveries related to energy and security.

Outside of data centers, the US receives top marks for the strength and expansiveness of its 5G internet coverage. Still, public and private sector activities are helping to develop new and broader 6G internet networks. A private sector coalition led by a tech giant is developing an AI-native 6G network for the US, while the National Telecommunications and Information Administration is exploring how government policies can develop the technology.

The US’s sweeping AI plan outlines data center and energy infrastructure for fostering innovation

The US boasts a holistic national AI plan that identifies more than 90 federal policy actions to accelerate AI innovation, deployment, and adoption while also blueprinting required energy, data center, and semiconductor-related infrastructure. The plan calls for measures like easier access to open source AI models for startups and academics and partnerships with leading tech firms to deliver hardware and software to US allies.

Talent

The US’s AI plans include retraining and upskilling programs for workforces

The US government’s plan also calls to prioritize AI skills as a core objective for education and federally supported skills initiatives, offer rapid retraining programs for workers displaced by AI, and support new pathways into entry-level roles. It also recommends establishing an AI Workforce Research Hub to evaluate AI’s impact on the labor market and offer actionable recommendations for workforce and education policy.

Separately, the US National Science Foundation is partnering with a bank and a tech firm in a $100 million investment to support a national infrastructure for AI education and workforce development.

Upskilling initiatives are vital — it takes talented workers to get the most value from AI — and are top-of-mind for US CEOs. Three-fourths of CEOs of New York Stock Exchange-listed firms cite talent attraction, retention, and workforce development as an opportunity for their business over the next three years, according to Oliver Wyman Forum research.