- The global generative AI adoption rate in the second half of 2025 reached 16.3%, an increase of 1.2 percentage points compared to the first half; equivalent to about 1/6th of the world’s population having used AI for learning, work, and problem-solving.
- The data is built from Microsoft’s anonymous telemetry, adjusted for devices, operating systems, internet levels, and population, reflecting a relatively accurate level of global AI penetration.
- The North-South divide continues to widen: the Northern Hemisphere reached 24.7% of the working-age population using AI, while the Southern Hemisphere reached only 14.1%, with the gap increasing to 10.6 percentage points.
- ASEAN presents a starkly divergent picture. Singapore continues to be the regional leader and ranks 2nd globally with 60.9%, far surpassing the rest. Malaysia reached 19.7%, Thailand 10.7%, Indonesia 12.7%, and the Philippines 18.3%, showing uneven AI access within the bloc.
- Vietnam recorded positive progress: the AI usage rate increased from 21.2% to 23.5%, higher than the global average and surpassing many developing economies, but a significant gap remains compared to leading ASEAN nations.
- The US ranked only 24th with 28.3%, while South Korea broke through strongly from 25.9% to 30.7%, an increase of 4.8 percentage points, thanks to national policies, improved Korean language models, and cultural diffusion effects.
- DeepSeek, a free open-source AI platform under the MIT license, is expanding rapidly in China, Russia, Iran, and especially Africa, showing that open-source AI can help middle- and low-income countries access AI faster.
📌 Microsoft’s report indicates that generative AI is spreading rapidly but unevenly. The global generative AI adoption rate in the second half of 2025 reached 16.3%, an increase of 1.2 percentage points compared to the first half; equivalent to about 1/6th of the world’s population having used AI for learning, work, and problem-solving. Vietnam recorded positive progress: the AI usage rate increased from 21.2% to 23.5%, higher than the global average and surpassing many developing economies, but a significant gap remains compared to leading ASEAN nations.
