(Suggested Reading, 2026) Microsoft AI Economy Institute has released its recent report on Global AI Adoption by Country, as of January 2026.
According to this report, Global AI Adoption Hits New Milestone, But a Divide Persists By the second half of 2025, roughly one in six people worldwide were using generative AI, marking a significant 1.2 percentage point increase in just six months. While this signals mainstream acceptance, new data from the Microsoft AI Economy Institute reveals a concerning trend: adoption in the Global North is growing nearly twice as fast as in the Global South. With 24.7% of the working-age population in the Global North now using these tools compared to just 14.1% in the Global South, we face a critical challenge to ensure the productivity and scientific benefits of AI are shared equitably across the globe.
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