Earlier this year, University of Utah President Taylor Randall sat in front of lawmakers and echoed an alarm: China was outpacing the United States in artificial intelligence and other critical technologies.
Randall labeled the ongoing global “AI race” a “sputnik moment,” recalling the alarming Cold War chapter when the Russians launched an artificial satellite — dubbed Sputnik 1 — prior to the United States.
It’s essential, Randall told legislators, that American universities — including the University of Utah — remain key competitors in the race to maximize AI.
A year ago, the state’s flagship university announced its initial AI initiative and, in February, appointed Manish Parashar as its inaugural chief artificial intelligence officer to navigate the school through its various AI initiatives.
Meanwhile, a key component of the University of Utah’s state-mandated strategic reinvestment plan is aggressive investment in advancing responsible AI.
While the University of Utah is positioning itself to be a player in the future of AI, the school is already counted among the global universities producing AI-innovative research, according to an analysis conducted by the online education platform Studocu.
Utilizing data from the Semantic Scholar API, Studocu examined peer-reviewed, AI-related publications from the “top 500 computer science universities worldwide between 2020–2024” — identifying leaders in research output, citations and per-student innovation.
The University of Utah was ranked 77th nationally — and 325th globally — in AI-focused research, the only school in the state to be ranked in the Studocu analysis.
Over the past four years (2020-2024), the University of Utah produced 92 AI papers, according to the Studocu analysis.
Given the university’s enhanced focus on AI over the past year, it’s likely to move up the AI academic research rankings in the future.
Stanford University: Global champ of academic AI research
The United States, according to Studocu, “firmly leads global academic AI research” with over 232,000 AI-related articles across multiple journals over the past four years.
But Randall was correct in expressing “sputnik moment” urgency.
Over that same period, China reportedly contributed over 217,000 AI-related research publications.
Meanwhile, the United Kingdom and Australia have emerged as academic AI research leaders, producing 109,000 and 92,000 publications, respectively.
While Stanford University is expected to struggle on the football field in 2025, it’s the national champ in academic AI research, according to Studocu.
The private California institution published over 12,000 AI publications between 2020 to 2024.
Other U.S. universities cracking the “AI-focused” top-10 list included, in descending order, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Princeton University, Harvard University, Johns Hopkins University, Carnegie Mellon University, University of California, Los Angeles, Cornell University, Yale University and California Institute of Technology.
Globally, Stanford again takes top honors in academic AI research, according to the Studocu analysis.
The other four schools in the global top five are also American institutions: MIT, Princeton, Harvard and Johns Hopkins.
Meanwhile, the United Kingdom’s University of Oxford and University of Cambridge are both ranked in the Top 10 — sixth and eighth, respectively — while Canada’s University of Waterloo is ranked ninth.
Switzerland’s ETH Zurich and EPFL were both ranked in the top 20 — further proof of Europe becoming a global power in academic AI research.
Asian academic heavyweights in academic AI research include Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University and China’s Peking University.
Bipartisan push in the U.S. for ‘global AI superiority’
Of course, attention on the worldwide growth and reach of AI technology stretches beyond college campuses.
Politically, U.S. leaders on both sides of the aisle agree it’s vital for the country to keep pace in the global race for AI superiority.
On his first full day in office, President Donald Trump announced a new artificial intelligence company called Stargate — signaling a collaboration between some leading U.S. tech figures, Newsweek reported.
Stargate is designed to maintain the U.S. as the global leader in artificial intelligence, the report added. Backed by a $500 billion investment over four years, Stargate plans to build AI infrastructure across the U.S., creating thousands of new jobs and doubling down on American advantages in AI development.
“Together these world-leading technology giants are announcing the formation of Stargate, so put that name down in your books, a new American company that will invest in AI infrastructure,” said Trump. “This is a resounding vote of confidence in America’s potential. It will ensure the future of AI technology and keep it in this country.”
Meanwhile, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., utilized his X account to call American researchers to action. “Our competitors are going to use every single opportunity they get to overtake the U.S.’s lead on the technologies of the future. We have to lead the way.”
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