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Generative AI use among working-age people worldwide reached 18.8% in the second quarter of 2026, according to Microsoft—about one percentage point higher than in the previous quarter. The growth was broad, but adoption varied sharply by country and region, highlighting different levels of access and the challenge of turning AI availability into practical use.
Key takeaways
Microsoft’s latest estimate points to steady growth, alongside a widening divide between the Global North and Global South. For business leaders, the figures also underscore that AI adoption depends on more than access to tools: organizations need reliable data, clear workflows, and ways to measure results.
- Global working-age AI use rose to 18.8% in Q2, from about 17.8% in Q1.
- The UAE led at 73.3%, followed by Singapore at 64.3%.
- The Global North reached 28.8% adoption, compared with 16.2% in the Global South.
- South Korea recorded the largest quarterly increase among major economies, gaining 3.5 percentage points.
Adoption varies widely by country
The UAE ranked first, while Ireland and France followed Singapore, at 49.9% and 49.6%, respectively. South Korea rose to 40.6%, moving from 16th to 12th place. The United States ranked 21st, with 33% adoption, up 1.7 percentage points; China stood at 17.5%.
Microsoft measures the share of people aged 15 to 64 who used a generative AI product during the period. Its estimates draw on aggregated, anonymized telemetry and adjustments for factors including device-market share, internet access, and population. The company said it plans to include additional AI tools in its next report, which could increase measured adoption across many countries.
North-South gap widens
Adoption in the Global North increased from 27.5% to 28.8% quarter over quarter. In the Global South, it rose from 15.4% to 16.2%. As a result, the difference grew from 12.1 to 12.6 percentage points.
Usage patterns differed, too. Consumer activities such as product searches and shopping accounted for a larger share of AI use in the North. In the South, schoolwork and academic support represented a share of conversations 32.3% above the global average, while self-directed learning was 29.2% higher. Microsoft noted that the South’s younger population may help explain the pattern.
What the figures mean for enterprise leaders
The global numbers measure individual use, not organizational productivity or return on investment. For companies, adoption becomes valuable when employees can apply AI to trustworthy, accessible business data and when leaders can assess its effects on reporting speed, cost, and decision-making.
That makes data foundations an important part of AI planning. Microsoft Fabric and Power BI can help organizations unify data and make analytics more accessible; teams still need to align tools with business processes and track measurable outcomes. Spargent’s work in these areas reflects a practical enterprise focus: connecting data strategy to faster reporting and clearer business impact.
