Artificial intelligence adoption around the world is increasing, but not equally. A recent report from the Microsoft AI Economy Institute (AIEI) shows that in the second half of 2025, global AI usage grew by 1.2 percentage points compared to the first half of the year. While more people are using generative AI tools than ever before, there’s a noticeable gap between different parts of the world. Developed countries are pulling ahead, leaving many developing nations behind.

AI Adoption Rates Vary Widely by Region

The report highlights a significant divide between the Global North and the Global South. In the developed countries of the Global North, about 24.7% of the working-age population uses AI tools. In contrast, only 14.1% of people in the Global South, which includes many developing nations, are using these technologies. This gap shows how access to digital infrastructure and AI skills is uneven across the globe.

Nations that invested early in digital infrastructure, AI training, and government support tend to lead the way. Countries like the United Arab Emirates, Singapore, Norway, Ireland, France, and Spain are among the top performers. These countries continue to show strong growth in AI adoption, mostly because they prioritized building the necessary infrastructure and skills early on.

The report also notes that the top 10 countries with the biggest increases in AI usage are all high-income economies. While the United States remains a leader in AI infrastructure and developing advanced models, its ranking in AI usage among its population dropped slightly from 23rd to 24th place. Its usage rate is 28.3%, which is lower than smaller countries like Ireland (44%), New Zealand (40.5%), Belgium (36%), and Canada (35%). South Korea led global growth with nearly 5% increase in AI usage in the second half of 2025.

Emerging Trends and Global Shifts

Another notable development is the rapid rise of Chinese AI companies, especially DeepSeek. Its success reflects China’s growing influence in AI, particularly across Africa. This trend could continue to shape the global AI landscape in 2026, as Chinese tech firms expand their reach and investments in different regions.

The report explains that the overall increase of 1.2% in global AI usage is measured by the share of people who have used generative AI products during the reporting period. This data is collected through anonymized telemetry from Microsoft users, adjusted for differences in device types, internet access, and country populations. This method helps give a clearer picture of AI adoption worldwide.

However, there are some limitations to this approach. Brian Jackson, a research director, points out that Microsoft’s data mainly comes from Windows users who agree to share their activity. This means that AI usage on mobile devices like iPhones or Android phones, especially for popular tools like ChatGPT, might not be fully captured. The report acknowledges these issues and notes that their methodology has some gaps.

Despite these limitations, the data indicates a clear trend: AI is spreading quickly in some parts of the world while lagging in others. The digital divide remains a significant challenge, with more work needed to ensure that AI benefits are accessible to everyone. As the technology continues to evolve, efforts to close this gap could become even more important in the years ahead.

Inspired by

• https://www.computerworld.com/article/4114739/global-ai-adoption-is-growing-and-so-is-the-digital-divide.html

Sources

• microsoft.com
• microsoft.com
• britannica.com
• infotech.com
• arxiv.org