ALMATY – Global adoption of generative artificial intelligence (AI) continued to grow in the second half of 2025, rising by 1.2%, compared with the first half of the year, with roughly one in six people worldwide now using generative AI tools, according to analysis released by the Microsoft AI Economy Institute in January.
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Researchers track AI diffusion as the share of people who have used a generative AI product during a given period. The institute continues refining its methodology to better measure how adoption varies across countries and how it contributes to priorities such as scientific discovery and productivity gains.
Global leaders in AI adoption
The report shows that countries that invested early in digital infrastructure, AI skills development and government adoption remain global leaders.
The United Arab Emirates ranks first worldwide, with 64% of its working-age population using AI by the end of 2025, up from 59.4% earlier in the year. The country now leads second-ranked Singapore by more than 3%, with Singapore reporting 60.9% adoption.
High adoption levels were also recorded in Norway (46.4%), Ireland (44.6%), France (44%), Spain (41.8%), New Zealand (40.5%), as well as the United Kingdom and the Netherlands (both 38.9%) and Qatar (38.3%).
One of the fastest improvements was recorded in South Korea, which climbed seven positions in the global rankings, from 25th to 18th. The rise was driven by supportive government policies, improved AI models capable of operating in Korean, and strong adoption across schools, workplaces, and public services. The country has also become one of the fastest-growing markets for ChatGPT, prompting OpenAI to open an office in Seoul.
Kazakhstan leads AI adoption in Central Asia
Among countries in Central Asia and the Eurasian Economic Union, Kazakhstan ranked first in AI adoption.
In the second half of 2025, 13.7% of the country’s working-age population used generative AI tools. Other countries in the region reported lower adoption rates, including Belarus (8.4%), the Kyrgyz Republic (8.2%) and Russia (8%).
Meanwhile, Armenia, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan were among the regional countries with the lowest levels of AI diffusion.
Despite the gap, all Central Asian and Eurasian Economic Union countries recorded growth compared with the first half of 2025. Kazakhstan demonstrated the strongest momentum, with adoption rising 1.1% within six months.
Growing global AI divide
Analysts note that the gap between countries in AI adoption is becoming increasingly visible. While AI usage reaches 64% of the working-age population in the UAE, it stands at only 5.1% in Cambodia.
Similarly low levels of AI use, around 5.6%, are observed in Turkmenistan, Tajikistan and Afghanistan. Experts attribute these differences primarily to varying levels of investment in digital infrastructure, education and regulatory frameworks.
