In the second half of 2025, 16.1% of the global working-age population reported using at least one artificial intelligence (AI) tool in their workplace, underscoring the growing integration of AI into everyday professional activities. However, adoption rates vary considerably between countries, reflecting differences in digital infrastructure, workforce skills and organisational priorities, according to Microsoft’s study.
The United Arab Emirates and Singapore stand out as leading examples, with more than 60% of the working-age population using AI at work, followed by Norway, Ireland, France and Spain, which also rank among the most advanced adopters.
At a regional level, adoption averages 24.7% in the northern hemisphere, compared with 14.1% in the southern hemisphere, according to Microsoft’s Global AI Adoption in 2025 report, which analysed data from 147 countries during the second half of the year.
Up to 64% of the working population in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has used generative AI tools, placing the country first globally and marking it as one of the fastest-growing adopters, with adoption up more than four percentage points compared to the previous semester.
Even before ChatGPT’s launch, AI technology was already integrated across UAE public services, supported by a governance framework established in 2017 as part of the national AI strategy, which targets nine key sectors.
Singapore ranks second, with 60.9% of the working population using AI. Like the UAE, it was an early investor in AI infrastructure and research and development.
Several European countries follow, including Norway (46.4%), Ireland (44.6%), France (44%), and Spain (41.8%), along with New Zealand (40.5%). Below 40% are the United Kingdom (38.9%), the Netherlands (38.9%) and Qatar (38.3%).
In the world’s largest economy, the United States, 28.3% of workers use AI, while Italy records 27.8% and Portugal 24.2%.
