\t\tRead: 2 min<\/p>\n
Generative artificial intelligence is being used by 17.8 per cent of the world\u2019s working-age population, but the gap between wealthy and developing nations continues to widen, according to a report published Tuesday by Microsoft.<\/p>\n
In the first quarter of 2026, 27.5 per cent of people aged 15-64 in developed countries used a generative AI tool, compared with 15.4 per cent in the developing world \u2014 a gap that widened by 1.5 per cent from the second half of 2025, according to the report\u2019s estimates.<\/p>\n
The divide stems from significant inequality in access to internet connectivity, basic digital skills and electricity, according to the Microsoft AI Economy Institute.<\/p>\n
AI model performance \u2014 historically stronger in English as most of the major AI companies are based in the U.S. \u2014 is also slowing the spread of such tools in non-English-speaking countries.<\/p>\n
But progress in processing non-European languages is fuelling a catch-up in adoption in some countries, particularly in Asia, the U.S. tech giant noted.<\/p>\n
The United Arab Emirates tops the ranking of AI usage at 70.1 per cent, followed by Singapore, Norway, Ireland and France.<\/p>\n
The estimates were based primarily on measurements from computers running Windows and Microsoft products such as Bing and Copilot.<\/p>\n
They only partially captured usage on Apple devices, and consolidated data was lacking for Russia, Iran and China.<\/p>\n
The United States \u2014 home to dominant large AI models like ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini \u2014 ranked only 21st, at 31.3 per cent.<\/p>\n
AI usage in China \u2014 the world\u2019s second-largest economy which is jostling with the U.S. for an edge in the AI race \u2014 was 16.4 per cent, the report said.<\/p>\n
Pushing back against fears of job losses driven by automation, Microsoft argued in the report that AI coding tools \u201ccould increase demand for developer jobs.\u201d<\/p>\n
The company cautioned, however, that \u201cit is still too early to know the full impact\u201d of AI on the labour market.<\/p>\n
For the first time in its history, the company itself offered voluntary departures to nearly 9,000 of its U.S.-based employees in April.<\/p>\n
According to Layoffs.fyi, a private aggregator, nearly 99,000 people have been laid off in the tech sector since January 1, primarily in the United States.<\/p>\n
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