Which countries are using artificial intelligence the most?

 Which countries are using artificial intelligence the most?

The adoption of artificial intelligence is on the rise worldwide. New data shows that some countries are significantly outperforming others, while the gap between developed and developing countries is widening.

According to a recent Microsoft report assessing the spread of artificial intelligence around the world, the United Arab Emirates and Singapore stand out from the rest, with more than 60 percent of the population using some form of productive artificial intelligence tool last year.

Both countries are also increasing the number of data centers, The Economist reported, even as higher temperatures make their operations more challenging.

In contrast, 14 out of 24 countries in South and Central America, including Mexico, Venezuela, and Brazil, have artificial intelligence adoption rates below 20 percent, according to the report.

According to the report, most of the use of artificial intelligence in the field comes from government agencies, while private companies lag behind due to high costs and a lack of technical skills.

South Korea ranks 18th for artificial intelligence use. But South Korea recorded the biggest growth last year, mainly due to increased use in the workplace.

South Korea's artificial intelligence adoption rate has increased from about 26 percent in the first half of 2025 (in the first six months) to 30 percent by the end of the year. Encouraged by this rapid pace, OpenAI opened an office in Seoul in September.

It is further stated that by the end of 2025, ChatGPT will become the most popular smartphone app in the country.

Other countries in the region, such as India, the Philippines and Malaysia, have seen a slight increase in the use of artificial intelligence. Tools like ChatGPT and Gemini are reported to be the most widely used tools in artificial intelligence.

However, the overall adoption of artificial intelligence in Asian and African countries still lags behind Western countries.

Despite ChatGPT's dominance, DeepSik has managed to capitalize on markets where US-based tools may be limited.

DeepSeek has secured significant market share in its home market of China (89 percent), as well as in countries including Belarus (56 percent), Russia (43 percent), Cuba (49 percent) and several African countries, where overall adoption of artificial intelligence is still low, the Telegraph reported.