AI Economy Institute
News & features
In the news | Microsoft on the Issues
We need to act with urgency to address the growing AI divide
Artificial intelligence is diffusing at an impressive speed, but its adoption around the world remains profoundly uneven. As Microsoft’s latest AI Diffusion Report shows, AI usage in the Global North is roughly twice that of the Global South. And this divide continues…
In the news | Microsoft on the Issues
Celebrating 250 million: Empowering communities to enable the global AI economy
Ahead of Mobile World Congress, where global leaders, governments, and industry convene at the world’s largest connectivity event, Microsoft is marking a major milestone in our efforts to expand digital access worldwide. In 2022, we made a bold commitment to expand internet…
In the news | Microsoft Signal
Exploring what AI means for education and the next generation
As AI transforms how we work, live and learn, higher education is more than another player — it needs to lead the way. Higher education must strike a balance as it prepares the next generation for a world being reshaped…
In the news | Microsoft Spotlight on AI
What it means to be human in the age of AI
We’re opening the year with something meaningful: the first book from the AIEI Research Fellows. Degrees of Change comes from the Microsoft AI Economy Institute (AIEI), a research initiative that studies the economic and educational shifts happening alongside AI and…
In the news | Microsoft Corporate Responsibility
Global AI Adoption in 2025—A Widening Digital Divide
Global adoption of artificial intelligence continued to rise in the second half of 2025, increasing by 1.2 percentage points compared to the first half of the year, with roughly one in six people worldwide now using generative AI tools, remarkable progress for a…
In the news | Microsoft EMEA Blog
AI Diffusion Report: Mapping Global AI Adoption and Innovation
The AI Economy Institute, Microsoft’s flagship think tank released its AI Diffusion Report, offering comprehensive view of where artificial intelligence is being used, developed, and built globally. The report provides country-level estimates of AI adoption, insights into innovation hubs, AI skills…
The AI Economy Institute (AIEI) is launching its second cohort of researchers, advancing our mission to understand and accelerate the responsible diffusion of artificial intelligence (AI) across economies, industries, and communities. This year’s theme—Education in the AI Economy—places diffusion at…
In the news | LinkedIn
Announcing AI Diffusion Report
As part of our AI Economy Institute, we’re releasing the @Microsoft AI Diffusion Report, which highlights global trends in AI development, infrastructure, and adoption—and what’s driving those patterns around the world. In less than three years, more than 1.2…
In the news | Gulf News
UAE tops global rankings in AI adoption in the workplace: Microsoft report
The UAE has claimed the top global ranking for artificial intelligence adoption in the workplace, achieving the highest rate of AI utilisation among the working population in 2025, surpassing some of the world’s most advanced digital economies, according to a…