Forget GDP. Meet GDI: The new economic scorecard for AI power
3 minute readPublished: Friday, April 10, 2026 at 10:34 pm
New Economic Metric: Gross Domestic Intelligence Emerges as AI Power Indicator
A new economic metric, Gross Domestic Intelligence (GDI), is gaining traction as a potential indicator of national competitiveness in the age of artificial intelligence. This measure focuses on a nation's access to and control over AI resources, particularly the computational infrastructure needed to power AI systems. This includes access to crucial components like GPUs, networking equipment, and data centers.
Analysts at Morgan Stanley have suggested that investors may begin to use GDI as a key factor in evaluating the competitiveness of nations and industries. This shift reflects the growing importance of AI in driving economic growth and technological advancement.
Recent data from Epoch AI, a research group tracking AI's impact, provides a snapshot of the global distribution of AI computational power. The United States currently holds a dominant position, controlling approximately 75% of the global AI compute capacity. China follows, with around 10%, with the European Union, Norway, and Japan trailing behind.
The data, based on Q4 2025 figures, measures the AI compute capacity of various companies and countries, using AI chips equivalent to Nvidia's H100 GPUs as a benchmark. The analysis highlights the significant concentration of AI compute power within a few major players. Google, for example, demonstrates a substantial lead, utilizing its own TPUs and a large number of Nvidia GPUs. The dominance of American companies in this area is striking. China's AI compute capacity, according to Epoch AI estimates, is comparable to that of Oracle.
BNN's Perspective:
The emergence of GDI as a potential economic indicator underscores the transformative impact of AI on the global landscape. While the US currently holds a significant advantage, the dynamic nature of technological development suggests that this landscape could shift. Governments and businesses worldwide will need to prioritize investments in AI infrastructure and talent to remain competitive in the evolving global economy.
Keywords: Gross Domestic Intelligence, GDI, AI, artificial intelligence, economic metric, compute capacity, GPUs, Nvidia, United States, China, Epoch AI, Morgan Stanley, investment, technology, global economy