The recent research achievements on high-power semiconductor lasers in various countries of the world are reviewed. The research progress is mainly introduced in terms of output power, brightness, electro-optical conversion efficiency, beam quality, lifetime, and reliability of GaAs-based near-infrared high-power semiconductor lasers. Combined with the current market analysis, the application prospect of these semiconductor lasers is elaborated. The development trend of high-power semiconductor lasers in the future is forecasted.