DUBAI: The United Arab Emirates (UAE), Singapore, and Norway have emerged as global leaders in artificial intelligence (AI) adoption, while Pakistan remains among the lowest-ranking nations, according to Microsoft’s AI Economy Institute’s AI Diffusion Report 2025.
The comprehensive study, which examined AI integration across 170 countries, assessed how deeply AI has entered workplaces, education, and public services.
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According to the report, more than half of the working-age population in the UAE and Singapore use AI tools regularly, placing both nations at the top of the global ranking. In contrast, AI adoption in developing countries like Pakistan remains below 15%, suggesting that most citizens have yet to use AI in their professional or educational routines.
Experts attribute Pakistan’s slow progress to limited internet access, poor digital literacy, and a shortage of AI tools in local languages. The report notes that countries offering AI access in native languages—such as English and Arabic—have experienced faster adoption rates.
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Among Muslim-majority nations, the UAE leads globally, followed by Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Qatar, and Indonesia, all of which are investing heavily in AI education, data centres, and government initiatives.
Meanwhile, Israel has been identified as one of the world’s top seven AI frontier nations, joining the United States, China, South Korea, France, the United Kingdom, and Canada in developing and training advanced AI models.
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Although Pakistan is not yet part of the AI-producing countries, experts believe it can narrow the gap by enhancing digital skills, improving connectivity, and investing in education. The report compares AI’s transformative potential to historical breakthroughs like electricity and the internet, emphasizing that its true impact depends on widespread accessibility and use.
The study concludes by urging global policymakers to bridge the AI divide between rich and poor nations to ensure equitable technological progress.