Adoption of artificial intelligence is on the rise globally, but new data shows that some countries are significantly outperforming others, while the gap between advanced and developing countries has widened. The UAE and Singapore stand out, with more than 60% of the population in both countries using some type of generative AI tool in the past year, according to a recent study. report by Microsoft which measured the diffusion of AI, or the percentage of population using generative AI, worldwide.
Both countries are also home to a growing number of data centers, despite high temperatures making operating conditions relatively unsuitable.
In contrast, in South and Central America, 14 of 24 countries had adoption rates below 20%, including Mexico, Venezuela and Brazil. Most of the adoption of AI in the region is driven by government agencieswhile private companies are lagging behind due to high costs and lack of technical skills, the report said.
While South Korea ranks 18th in terms of AI adoption, it has seen the strongest growth over the past year, thanks to its increased use of AI in the workplace. The country’s diffusion rate increased from almost 26% in the first half of 2025 to 30% by the end of the year. Encouraged by the rapid pace of its adoption, OpenAI has implemented a desk in Seoul last September. At the end of 2025, ChatGPT became the most popular smartphone app in the country.
Other countries in the region, such as India, the Philippines and Malaysia, have seen slight improvements in the use of AI, with tools like ChatGPT and Gemini among the most widely used. Despite these developments, overall AI adoption in Asian and African countries continues to lag behind its Western counterparts.
Despite ChatGPT’s dominance, DeepSeek has managed to capitalize on markets where US-based tools might be restricted. It has achieved significant market share in countries including its home market China (89%), as well as Belarus (56%), Russia (43%), Cuba (49%) and some African countries where overall adoption remains low.
