Microsoft Puts UAE AI Use at 73.3%, Global Rate at 18.8%

Microsoft’s Global AI Diffusion report for the second quarter of 2026, published on 21 September 2026, says that in June AI usage was 18.8% of the working-age population worldwide, an increase of about one percentage point from the first quarter. The United Arab Emirates led at 73.3%, followed by Singapore at 64.3%.

Microsoft defines AI diffusion as the share of people aged 15 to 64 who have used a generative AI product during the reported period, derived from aggregated and anonymized Microsoft telemetry data and adjusted for operating system and device market share, internet penetration and population.

What Microsoft Reported

In the report’s Q2 2026 ranking, the top ten are the UAE (73.3%), Singapore (64.3%), Ireland (49.9%), France (49.6%), Norway (49.4%), Spain (45.1%), New Zealand (44.1%), the United Kingdom (43.7%), the Netherlands (43.5%) and Qatar (43.5%). The UAE’s figure rose 3.2 percentage points from 70.1% in the first quarter.

The report says South Korea gained 3.5 percentage points, “the largest quarterly increase in the group”, climbing from 16th to 12th at 40.6%. Saudi Arabia climbed five places from 30th to 25th. Microsoft’s blog says Japan recorded the largest relative change, 2.2 percentage points or roughly 10% relative to its Q1 usage of 22.5%.

The United States ranks 21st in the Q2 table at 33.0%, up 1.7 points. The report’s country table puts China at 16.4% in the first quarter and 17.5% in the second.

A Widening North-South Gap

The report’s table gives usage in the Global North at 24.7% in the second half of 2025, 27.5% in Q1 2026 and 28.8% in Q2 2026, against 14.1%, 15.4% and 16.2% in the Global South. The world figure moved from 16.3% to 17.8% to 18.8%.

Over the same three periods, the gap between North and South widened from 10.6 to 12.1 to 12.6 percentage points, the table shows. Using consumer Copilot usage insights, Microsoft says the most notable difference in how AI is used is “a higher share of education and learning use in the Global South”.

Open-Weight Models

The report includes a section on open-weight models. It cites OpenRouter’s public analysis of more than 100 trillion tokens, which found open-weight models had grown to roughly one-third of token volume by late 2025, and says Microsoft’s own analysis of public OpenRouter data shows open-weight models “now represent 75% of OpenRouter token usage”.

The report adds that “These figures are not global market shares”, because OpenRouter users are unusually likely to experiment across providers. Microsoft’s blog says the shift to open-weight models could especially benefit the Global South by lowering access costs.

How the Measure Works

Microsoft’s blog says “No single metric is perfect, and this one is no exception.” The report says some newer AI tools are not included in the current measure and that its next report will expand the list of tools covered.

The report says broader coverage will raise measured diffusion across nearly all countries, “with the largest effect in China, where several widely used domestic tools are currently not included”, and that these increases “will primarily reflect improved measurement of existing usage rather than a sudden change in underlying adoption.”

An Older Figure in Circulation

A Gulf News article updated on 11 October 2026 reported the UAE’s adoption rate as 70.1%, citing Microsoft’s AI Diffusion Report for Q1 2026. That is the first-quarter figure; the Q2 report published on 21 September gives 73.3% for the second quarter.

The Structural Read

Microsoft’s table shows the gap between the Global North and the Global South widening in each of the three periods it covers, from 10.6 to 12.1 to 12.6 percentage points, while usage rose in both.

As we read it, the report’s own caveat matters most for China: Microsoft says several widely used domestic tools are not yet in the measure, and that broader coverage would raise measured diffusion most there.

The open-weight section rests on OpenRouter data, which the report says are not global market shares. Microsoft presents open-weight models as a possible route to lower access costs in the Global South.

Three Implications

THE UAE AND SINGAPORE The report puts the UAE at 73.3% and Singapore at 64.3% in Q2 2026, with no other economy above 50%. Ireland is third at 49.9%.

THE NORTH-SOUTH GAP Microsoft’s table shows the Global North at 28.8% and the Global South at 16.2% in Q2 2026, a gap of 12.6 percentage points, up from 10.6 in the second half of 2025.

CHINA’S MEASURED FIGURE The report gives China 17.5% in Q2 2026 and says its next report, covering more tools, is expected to raise measured usage most in China.

The Business Engineer Lens

This story maps onto the Business Engineer framework The Open vs Closed Meta-Framework.

The framework states the pattern as: “Close the SCARCE layer (keep proprietary) + Open the ABUNDANT layer (commoditize)”.

As we read it, Microsoft’s open-weight section describes models becoming a more abundant layer for many users, especially where cost limits access. The report itself does not use this framework; the link is our reading.

What Is Not Established

By Microsoft’s definition, the figure counts people who used a generative AI product during the period; the report’s headline measure does not say how often they used it or for what share of their work.

The report says several widely used domestic tools in China are not currently included, and that initial analysis suggests broader coverage would raise measured diffusion most there. It does not give a revised figure for China.

The Bottom Line

Microsoft’s Q2 2026 report puts AI usage at 18.8% of the world’s working-age population in June, with the UAE first at 73.3% and Singapore second at 64.3%. The gap between the Global North and Global South widened to 12.6 percentage points.