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Global AI Adoption Hits New Highs, Despite Widening Gap Between Rich and Poor

Guavy AI Editorial Team Published September 21, 2026

Instruments

MSFT

According to Microsoft's latest Global AI Diffusion Report, global AI adoption continued its upward trend in the second quarter of 2026. The report reveals that AI usage rose by about 1% from the first quarter of this year, reaching a total of 18.8% of the working-age population worldwide in June.

The UAE and Singapore maintained their positions as leaders, with AI adoption rates of 73.3% and 64.3%, respectively. Meanwhile, South Korea experienced the largest absolute change, with an increase of 3.5 percentage points.

Notably, Japan recorded the largest relative change, growing by 2.2 percentage points, or roughly 10% relative to its Q1 usage of 22.5%. The report also highlighted a widening gap between the Global North and South, with AI adoption rates standing at 28.8% and 16.2%, respectively.

Global AI Adoption Hits New Highs, Despite Widening Gap Between Rich and Poor

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