Microsoft's AI research organization, the AI Economy Institute, has analyzed that South Korea recorded the largest increase in generative AI users among major economies. As AI usage expands globally, disparities in usage between countries and regions are also growing.
On September 28, Microsoft released its 'AI Adoption Report: Trends for Q2 2026,' analyzing the current state of generative AI usage worldwide, regional disparities, and utilization methods.
According to the report, as of June 2026, the generative AI usage rate among the global working-age population was 18.8%, an increase of 1.0 percentage points from 17.8% in the first quarter. In South Korea, the AI user rate reached 40.6%, rising by 3.5 percentage points during the same period. The country improved its global ranking from 16th to 12th, marking the largest increase among major economies for the third consecutive time, with an approximate 15 percentage point rise in AI user rate over the past 12 months.
AI usage rates varied significantly by country. The United Arab Emirates had the highest rate at 73.3%, followed by Singapore at 64.3%. Ireland (49.9%) and France (49.6%) also recorded relatively high levels.
Saudi Arabia saw the most significant ranking increase, moving up five spots from 30th to 25th. Japan experienced the highest relative growth rate compared to the previous quarter, with its AI user rate rising from 22.5% in Q1 to 24.7% in Q2, a 2.2 percentage point increase, representing about a 10% rise compared to the first quarter.
The gap in AI usage between the Global North, primarily composed of developed countries, and the Global South, consisting of emerging economies, has also widened. In Q2, the AI usage rate was 28.8% in the Global North and 16.2% in the Global South. The disparity between the two regions increased from 10.6 percentage points in the second half of 2025 to 12.1 points in Q1 2026, and further to 12.6 points in Q2.
Regional differences were also evident in how AI is utilized. An analysis of consumer co-pilot usage revealed that conversations aimed at self-directed learning and skill development in the Global South were 29.2% higher than the global average. The proportion of conversations for school assignments and academic support was also 32.3% higher than the global average.
In contrast, the Global North showed a relatively higher focus on consumer-oriented uses such as shopping, searching, and feedback. In the Global South, productivity-related uses, including image, text, and code generation and editing, also accounted for a significant share.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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