AI Development

AI adoption surges globally but rich-poor divide widens: Microsoft report

May 8, 2026 · High importance · deployment

Microsoft's latest report shows generative AI usage reached 17.8% of the global working-age population in Q1 2026. Developed countries saw 27.5% adoption versus 15.4% in developing nations, with the gap widening by 1.5 percentage points. The data highlights uneven global diffusion of AI capabilities despite rapid overall growth.

Date
May 8, 2026
Importance
High 4/5
Category
deployment
Axis of Change
Deployment Expansion
Organizations
Microsoft
Models Affected
No specific model identified
  1. 01 economictimes.indiatimes.com