Microsoft report: One in six people worldwide uses AI
Artificial intelligence technologies continue to spread rapidly around the world, while the gap in access to AI between developed and developing countries continues to widen, according to a new report by the Microsoft AI Economy Institute on global AI adoption, Qazinform News Agency reports.
The study shows that in the second half of 2025, the global share of generative AI users increased by 1.2 percentage points to reach 16.3 percent. As a result, roughly one in six people worldwide now uses artificial intelligence tools for work, learning, or everyday tasks.
However, growth has been uneven. In the Global North, AI usage expanded nearly twice as fast as in the Global South. As a result, 24.7 percent of the working age population in developed countries already use generative AI, compared with 14.1 percent in developing economies. The gap between the two regions widened from 9.8 to 10.6 percentage points.
The United Arab Emirates ranks first in terms of AI adoption, with 64 percent of the working age population using AI. It is followed by Singapore at 60.9 percent, as well as Norway, Ireland, France, and Spain.
One of the most notable developments of the second half of 2025 was the sharp increase in AI usage in South Korea, which climbed seven positions in the global ranking.
According to the data, AI usage in Kazakhstan continues to grow steadily. In the second half of 2025, the share of generative AI users in the country rose to 13.7 percent, up from 12.7 percent in the first half of the year. Kazakhstan demonstrates one of the highest levels of AI adoption in Central Asia, outperforming several neighboring countries.
Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that speaking at the Ulttyq Qurultay in Kyzylorda, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev stated that digitalization and artificial intelligence are shaping a fundamentally new reality in which traditional approaches and established models are no longer sufficient.