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The contrast between the world leaders in the introduction of artificial intelligence and outsider countries continues to grow: a new report has shown that while some states make neural networks part of everyday work and everyday life, others remain far beyond the global AI mainstream. The study did not please with unexpected leaders, but the scale of the gap looks indicative. Analysts note that the level of use of AI depends less and less on the technological "fashion" and more and more on the structure of the economy, digital maturity and population size.
Who is setting the pace for AI adoption today?
The latest report published by Microsoft is based on telemetry data of user devices and reflects the real, not declared, activity of people working with AI tools.
We are talking about generative neural networks, intelligent assistants and automated services that are used in professional and everyday activities.
The UAE has become the undisputed leader in the introduction of AI in everyday work: by the end of 2025, 64% of the country's able-bodied residents regularly used neural networks. Singapore is minimally behind - 60.9%, and Norway closes the top three, where every second (46.4%) has already integrated artificial intelligence into the routine. The top ten includes Ireland, France, Spain, New Zealand, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and Qatar. What unites them is not just a high penetration rate, but also an attitude to technology: here AI has ceased to be a gadget for experiments and has turned into an ordinary tool for reports, analytics, study, and correspondence.
Unexpected movements in the ranking
South Korea has shown the most impressive dynamic, rising from 25th to 18th place in one year. Today, almost a third of the working-age population (30.7%) regularly uses AI, and the annual growth of the audience has reached 80% – this is explosive growth for a technologically saturated market. This is a rare example when growth occurs not due to the low base effect, but due to a systematic digital policy and the active introduction of AI in business and education.
Against this background, the position of the United States looks especially contrasting: the country where ChatGPT has the world's largest army of subscribers, and in Silicon Valley alone there are more than a hundred data centers, ranks only 24th. The paradox is explained simply: the larger the population, the more difficult it is for it to swing. The absolute numbers are impressive, but in penetration rankings, size plays against.
Global Slice
Microsoft has calculated that today every sixth person on Earth uses generative AI in one way or another. For technology, which yesterday seemed like a toy for geeks, it is not just growth, but instant maturation! However, this progress is extremely unevenly distributed: some countries turn AI into an infrastructure standard, while others only watch the process from the sidelines.
