Despite economic headwinds, tighter AI regulations, Trump-era tariff policies, and escalating global trade tensions, the AI industry continues to outperform nearly every other corner of the tech sector. By 2031, the market is on track to surpass a staggering $1 trillion in value, and 56% of that figure will come from machine learning, AI`s largest and fastest-growing segment.
According to data presented by AltIndex.com, machine learning is projected to grow 40% faster than the AI industry average by 2031.
Machine Learning Market Set to Surge 440% by 2031
While the entire AI industry has experienced explosive growth in recent years, the rise of machine learning has been nothing short of extraordinary, and that momentum shows no signs of slowing. This technology has transformed industries from finance to healthcare and continues to attract record investments, showing investors believe in its long-term potential.
In Q1 2025 alone, companies and startups working in the machine learning space raised a mind-blowing $54.8 billion, the highest quarterly figure in market history. With the surge of VC investments, machine learning continues its meteoric growth, far outpacing other AI sectors and the broader market.
According to the latest Statista Market Forecast, the machine learning industry is expected to reach $105.4 billion in 2025, a $30 billion increase in just one year. But that’s only the beginning. The market is projected to skyrocket by nearly 440%, hitting an impressive $568 billion by 2031. This triple-digit growth is even more impressive when compared to other AI sectors.
Statistics show machine learning will grow 40% faster than the industry average of 331% by 2031. Natural language processing will trail even more with a 277% increase, or 58% lower than machine learning’s growth. AI robotics follows with a 316% jump, reflecting a 38% gap. Meanwhile, computer vision and autonomous sensor technologies lag far behind. Statistics show computer vision will grow 200% slower than machine learning, while autonomous and sensor technology is expected to fall behind by a staggering 300%, highlighting the huge difference in growth rates across AI’s main sectors.
United States and China in a Close Race for Machine Learning Dominance
In global comparison, the United States represents a machine-learning superpower, but China is quickly closing the gap. According to Statista, both markets are set for massive, triple-digit growth in the years ahead, with only a slight difference in their growth rates.
The U.S. machine learning market is expected to surge 446%, reaching $167 billion by 2031. China isn’t far behind, with a 444% six-year growth and a market size of $117 billion in this period. Together, the two countries will account for nearly half of the global machine learning market by 2031.
As businesses worldwide continue ramping up investments in machine learning, its share of the AI market will also rise. Statista projects machine learning will represent 56% of the total AI market value by 2031, or 13% more than this year.