The assumption that the US holds a durable lead in AI model performance is not well-supported by the data, and that is just one of the uncomfortable findings in Stanford University’s 2026 AI Index Report , published this week. The report, produced by Stanford’s Institute for Human-Centred Artificial Intelligence, is a 423-page annual assessment of where artificial intelligence stands. It covers research output, model performance, investment flows, public sentiment, and responsible AI. The headline findings are striking. But the more consequential insights sit in the sections most coverage has skipped, particularly on AI safety, where the gap between what models can do and how rigorously they are evaluated for harm has not closed but widened. That said, three findings deserve more attention than they are getting. The US-China model performance gap has effectively closed The framing that the US leads China in AI development needs updating.…