AI usage is exploding. The data shows it.
The key numbers from Stanford's 2026 AI Index, read through one lens: every point of adoption is also a point of exposure. Here is where the security gap actually lives.
Stanford's HAI AI Index is the most cited annual measurement of where artificial intelligence stands. We pulled the figures that matter most to European organisations, adoption, risk and trust, and set them against the question every team should be asking: where does our data go when we use this?
53%
of the world now uses generative AI, faster uptake than the PC or the internet
88%
of organisations report using AI in 2025
362
documented AI incidents in 2025
up from 233 in 2024
30×
growth in global AI compute since 2021
Source: Stanford HAI 2026 AI Index
AI adoption is outpacing every technology before it
Generative AI reached over half the world in three years, and nearly nine in ten organisations now use AI. The numbers behind the fastest technology uptake in history.
See the breakdownThe guardrails are not keeping up with the usage
AI incidents hit a record in 2025, hallucination rates run as high as 94%, and one in nine organisations still has no responsible-AI policy. This is the security gap, measured.
See the breakdownThe public already trusts Europe to set the rules
People are more excited about AI and more nervous at the same time, and across surveyed countries the EU is trusted to regulate AI more than the US or China.
See the breakdownAbout this data
All figures are drawn from the Stanford HAI 2026 AI Index Report and its chapters, and are quoted here for commentary and education. Pryvan is not affiliated with Stanford HAI. Follow the link for the full report and methodology.
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