Microsoft AI Diffusion Report: How AI is being adapted worldwide

Microsoft’s latest AI Diffusion Report reveals how the world is adopting AI globally, and what that means for countries embracing this new general-purpose technology. In this special edition of Tools and Weapons, Microsoft's Vice Chair and President Brad Smith sits down with Juan Lavista Ferres, Chief Data Scientist and Director of the AI for Good Lab, to unpack the report’s most striking insights. Together, they explore why diffusion (not just invention) will determine who benefits most from AI, spotlight countries leading the charge like the UAE, Singapore, and South Korea, and examine the rise of models such as China’s DeepSeek across parts of Africa. It’s a conversation about technology’s reach, the pace of progress, and what it means for the world. Chapters: 0:00 - Intro 1:55 - Why AI diffusion matters 2:47 - New opportunities and possibilities 4:00 - The fastest growing technology in human history 5:47 - Who is adopting AI the fastest? 6:31 - Lessons from UAE, the global leader in AI adoption 7:40 - South Korea's AI journey 9:35 - Where does the USA rank in AI adoption? 10:45 - How AI impacts economy growth 13:40 - DeepSeek, the big AI story of 2025 16:30 - What's next for AI in 2026? Read the report: https://aka.ms/AIDiffusionReport2025 AIEI Hub: https://aka.ms/aiei Subscribe to Microsoft on YouTube here: https://aka.ms/SubscribeToYouTube Follow us on social: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/microsoft/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/Microsoft Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Microsoft/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/microsoft/ For more about Microsoft, our technology, and our mission, visit https://aka.ms/microsoftstories