"Artificial intelligence is spreading faster than any technology in history - but billions of people are being left behind. That's the conclusion of Microsoft's new "AI Diffusion Report," which maps how AI use, infrastructure, and innovation are spreading globally. The company said that more than 1.2 billion people now use AI tools, a rate of adoption that it said has outpaced electricity, computers, and the internet. Yet this rapid diffusion is uneven."
"According to Microsoft, countries like the UAE, with 59.4% adoption, Singapore at 58.6%, and Norway at 51.9%, lead the world in AI use. These nations boast abundant electricity, near-universal internet access, and digitally fluent populations. But across parts of Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and Latin America, fewer than 10% of people use AI tools. The report attributed this to low internet penetration, unreliable power, and limited access to the devices and education needed to use new technologies."
More than 1.2 billion people use AI tools, with adoption outpacing electricity, computers, and the internet. Adoption is highly uneven: some countries show roughly 50–60% usage while many regions in Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and Latin America have under 10% usage. Key barriers include low internet penetration, unreliable electricity, limited device access, and insufficient digital skills and education. Most models are trained in English, excluding non-English speakers. Frontier AI development is concentrated in a few countries while infrastructure and user readiness lag elsewhere. Without urgent investment in power, connectivity, devices, skills, and localization, global inequality could deepen.
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