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Microsoft’s latest AI Diffusion Report finds that generative AI use continued to grow in the second quarter of 2026, reaching 18.8% of the global working-age population. The United Arab Emirates and Singapore lead the rankings, while Ireland, Switzerland, and other European economies remain well above the global average. The report also flags a widening adoption divide between regions.
Key takeaways
The figures point to broad growth, but adoption varies significantly by economy and region. For enterprise leaders, the data is a reminder to measure business outcomes—not just access to AI tools.
- Global working-age use rose from 17.8% in Q1 to 18.8% in Q2 2026.
- The UAE led at 73.3%, followed by Singapore at 64.3% and Ireland at 49.9%.
- Switzerland ranked 15th at 39.1%, up from 37.8% in the previous quarter.
- Adoption reached 28.8% in the Global North and 16.2% in the Global South.
Adoption rises across most economies
Microsoft’s AI Economy Institute measured the share of people ages 15 to 64 who used a generative AI product during the reporting period. Nearly every economy tracked saw an increase. The United States remained 21st, with its rate rising from 31.3% to 33%. South Korea recorded the largest absolute quarterly gain, up 3.5 percentage points, while Saudi Arabia moved from 30th to 25th—the largest jump in rank.
Microsoft says its estimates draw on aggregated, anonymized telemetry and are adjusted for differences in population, internet access, and device and operating-system market share. The company also cautions that no single measure captures every dimension of AI use; it plans to broaden its measurement to include newer tools and models in a future report.
Europe’s leaders stand out
Ireland moved from fourth to third worldwide, with adoption rising from 48.4% to 49.9%, making it Europe’s highest-ranked economy. France recorded 49.6% and Norway 49.4%. Switzerland reached 39.1%, more than twice the global rate and 1.3 percentage points above its Q1 result.
The rankings establish reach, not the value organizations are gaining from AI. For business and IT leaders, the next step is connecting adoption to outcomes such as faster reporting, improved productivity, and better decisions. Spargent helps enterprises bring data together through Microsoft Fabric and Power BI, supporting reliable analytics and measurable business impact.
The adoption gap remains a concern
Use in the Global North rose to 28.8%, compared with 16.2% in the Global South, widening the difference between the regions. Microsoft’s analysis also found a higher share of education and learning activity among observed users in the South, while North-based users showed more consumer-oriented patterns. The company cautions that these findings describe early adopters and may change as usage expands.
The report highlights open-weight models as one way to lower costs and adapt AI to local languages and needs. However, infrastructure, connectivity, and skills remain barriers. For enterprises, translating adoption into sustained value also depends on sound data foundations, workforce capabilities, and clear measurement of results.
- New Microsoft data: AI adoption continues to rise, Switzerland remains well above the global average, Microsoft Source.
- Microsoft Tracks AI Adoption, U.S. Stalls 09/22/2026, MediaPost.
- Microsoft Tracks AI Adoption, U.S. Stalls, Yahoo Tech.
- The continued state of global AI diffusion in 2026, The Official Microsoft Blog.
- Ireland rises to 3rd globally and 1st in Europe for AI adoption, Microsoft Source.
