In the second half of 2025, the global adoption rate of generative AI will rise to 16.3%, meaning approximately one in six people will use AI tools. However, the gap between countries in the Global North and South continues to widen: the adoption rate in the North increased from 22.9% to 24.7%, while in the South it only grew from 13.1% to 14.1%, widening the gap to 10.6 percentage points. The United Arab Emirates continues to lead globally with a 64% adoption rate, while South Korea became the fastest-growing country, with its adoption rate rising from 25.9% to 30.7% within half a year, climbing from 25th to 18th place in the rankings. China’s open-source platform DeepSeek has rapidly gained popularity in regions such as Africa and Russia through its free strategy, achieving market shares two to four times higher than Western platforms in some areas. This highlights the importance of accessibility in technology adoption. Although the United States leads in technological research and development, its adoption rate is only 28.3%, indicating a persistent lag in translating innovation into practical application.
