Abstract reasoning (novel domains)
Cognition · Human leadsHuman
9
AI
6
Humans transfer schemas across unrelated domains; LLMs still fail on out-of-distribution logic puzzles.
BRAINMATTER Index · Updated 2026-07-19
HI vs AI Index 2026
Human Intelligence and Artificial Intelligence scored side-by-side across 24 dimensions — cognition, learning, perception, embodiment, social skills, ethics, economics, and meta-cognition.
Dimensions
24
Human wins
15
AI wins
7
Ties
2
Category averages
| Category | Human avg | AI avg | Leader |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cognition | 6.4 | 7.3 | AI |
| Learning | 7 | 5 | Human |
| Perception | 8.5 | 8 | Human |
| Physical | 7.7 | 5.7 | Human |
| Social | 8.7 | 5.3 | Human |
| Ethics | 7.7 | 3 | Human |
| Economics | 2 | 10 | AI |
| Meta | 9.5 | 2.5 | Human |
Full dimension matrix
Pattern recognition at scale
Cognition · AI leadsHuman
5
AI
10
AI processes billions of examples; humans cap at ~10⁴ meaningful exemplars per lifetime.
Long-horizon planning (>50 steps)
Cognition · Human leadsHuman
8
AI
4
Agentic AI degrades sharply past ~20-step plans without tool scaffolding.
Working memory capacity
Cognition · AI leadsHuman
4
AI
10
Human WM ≈ 4±1 chunks; frontier models hold 1M+ tokens with near-perfect recall.
Causal reasoning
Cognition · Human leadsHuman
8
AI
5
Humans infer counterfactuals from few observations; AI conflates correlation with cause.
Speed of arithmetic
Cognition · AI leadsHuman
2
AI
10
Trivially decisive for AI when tools are available.
Sample-efficient learning
Learning · Human leadsHuman
10
AI
3
A child learns a new word from 1–3 exposures; LLMs require millions of tokens.
Continual learning without forgetting
Learning · Human leadsHuman
8
AI
3
Neural nets suffer catastrophic forgetting; humans consolidate via sleep.
Skill acquisition speed at scale
Learning · AI leadsHuman
3
AI
9
AI copies a skill to 1M instances instantly; humans need years of individual training.
Multi-modal perception
Perception · Human leadsHuman
9
AI
7
Humans integrate 5+ senses with proprioception; AI catching up on vision+audio+text.
Object recognition (labeled)
Perception · AI leadsHuman
8
AI
9
AI surpasses humans on ImageNet-style benchmarks.
Embodied navigation (novel spaces)
Physical · Human leadsHuman
10
AI
4
Robotics still fragile in unstructured environments.
Fine motor dexterity
Physical · Human leadsHuman
10
AI
3
No robotic hand matches a surgeon or a violinist.
Endurance & throughput
Physical · AI leadsHuman
3
AI
10
AI runs 24/7 at constant quality; humans need sleep.
Theory of mind
Social · Human leadsHuman
9
AI
5
LLMs pass some false-belief tasks but fail robust ToM under distraction.
Empathy & emotional attunement
Social · Human leadsHuman
10
AI
4
AI simulates affect; humans feel and respond adaptively.
Persuasion in dialogue
Social · Tie leadsHuman
7
AI
7
2024–25 studies show LLMs match or exceed humans in structured debate.
Moral judgment in novel dilemmas
Ethics · Human leadsHuman
8
AI
4
AI reflects training-data priors; humans reason from lived stakes.
Accountability & liability
Ethics · Human leadsHuman
10
AI
1
Legal personhood applies to humans; AI is a tool with attributed liability.
Bias resistance
Ethics · Tie leadsHuman
5
AI
4
Both systems encode bias; neither is neutral without intervention.
Marginal cost per task
Economics · AI leadsHuman
2
AI
10
AI inference approaches $0.0001/task; human labor is orders of magnitude higher.
Creative originality (top decile)
Cognition · Human leadsHuman
9
AI
6
AI is above-average creative but rarely produces genuinely field-shifting work.
Self-awareness & introspection
Meta · Human leadsHuman
9
AI
2
No evidence current AI systems have phenomenal self-models.
Energy efficiency per computation
Meta · Human leadsHuman
10
AI
3
Brain runs on ~20W; GPT-scale training uses gigawatt-hours.
Frequently asked
What is the HI vs AI Index?
The HI vs AI Index is a scored comparison of Human Intelligence and Artificial Intelligence across 24 dimensions spanning cognition, learning, perception, physical embodiment, social skills, ethics, economics, and meta-cognition. Each dimension is rated 0–10 for each side with a plain-language note.
Where does AI clearly beat humans in 2026?
AI dominates in pattern recognition at scale, working memory capacity, arithmetic speed, skill acquisition at scale, endurance, marginal cost per task, and object recognition on labeled benchmarks.
Where do humans still clearly beat AI in 2026?
Humans lead in abstract reasoning on novel domains, long-horizon planning, sample-efficient learning, continual learning without forgetting, embodied navigation, fine motor dexterity, theory of mind, empathy, moral judgment, accountability, creative originality, self-awareness, and energy efficiency.
How is the score computed?
Each dimension is scored 0–10 by BRAINMATTER editors from a synthesis of 2024–2026 benchmarks, peer-reviewed studies, and industry evaluations. Scores are directional, not absolute — the index is designed to reveal shape and gaps, not to declare a winner.